Sam Bairstow turns professional for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship as golf loses EuroPro Tour

The 24-year-old left-hander from Sheffield, who plays out of Hallowes and cites the 2021 Brabazon Trophy as one of his many highlights as an amateur, has opted to join the paid ranks ahead of the DP World Tour’s Q School in Spain in November.

He gets a taste of the level he wants to be at on a regular basis at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, one of the more star-studded events on the European circuit’s premier calendar.

World No 2 Rory McIlory is in town as he bids to complete the money list double on both premier circuits, having won the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup last month.

Sheffield’s Danny Willett defends the title just two weeks after a three-putt on the 72nd green cost him his first win in America since the 2016 Masters.

There are other big names - US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick among them - at a tournament that sees professionals and their celebrity amateur partners play rounds at St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie before the final 18 holes back at the Old Course on Sunday.

Bairstow begins life as a professional at Kingsbarns on Thursday, teeing off at 10.50am from the 10th hole, before playing St Andrews on Friday and Carnoustie on Saturday.

“I am extremely excited to start my professional career at St Andrews,” said Bairstow who was in contention for low amateur at the Open after two rounds of level-par 72 before fading on the Saturday.

"The Alfred Dunhill has such a rich pedigree in golf and to play alongside some of the finest players in Europe will be a great experience.”

Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother of Matt, is another recently-turned professional from Yorkshire in action this week. The 23-year-old has had three invites into DP World Tour events since turning pro for the summer’s Irish Open, and arrives in Scotland in improving form, having posted a 27th-place finish at the Italian Open and a strong tied-13th at the French Open last week.

Unless they win at St Andrews, they and Wakefield’s Daniel Bradbury – who turned pro in the week after the Open but has only played once on the main circuit – will be headed to Spain for qualifying school in November, seeking to earn playing privileges on the DP World Tour for 2023. If they are unable to do so, there are always places on offer on the Challenge Tour.

For the last 20 years, players falling short of that had the EuroPro Tour to fall back on, but that will not be the case next season.

A circuit that helped future major winners Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel on their way, as well as more locally and recently, Marcus Armitage, announced on Wednesday it would cease to operate after the end of this season.

In a statement, the tour said: "In a market evolving quickly the PGA EuroPro Tour feels the impact of changing global investment, media and sponsorship. The economic landscape of increasing costs and the changing habits of the worldwide audience means it has become clear that unfortunately there is no longer the support nor demand in the market to operate the PGA EuroPro Tour.”

Barry Hearn of Matchroom Sport, who helped launch it, said: “Sadly, in these changing times for professional golf support has not been sufficient to justify its continuation.”

Without that safety net next year, it makes opportunities such as the Alfred Dunhill Links all the more vital for golfers like Bairstow.

For Matt Fitzpatrick, who is second on the money list behind McIlroy, the Alfred Dunhill Links offers a unique opportunity – playing alongside his mum and his brother.

“It's incredible, it really is,” said Sheffield’s US Open champion. “These are memories that will stay with you forever. To be able to do it at St Andrews and to be able to do it with my mom and to play alongside my brother, yes, it's incredibly special.“I'm really just trying to enjoy it as much as possible this week. There's quite a lot of seriousness in my comment about not bothered about the individual this week.

"I'm just going to go out there and support my mom as best I can. I want her to enjoy it more than anything. I don't want her to be nervous or worried about anything.”