Rory McIlroy will play rounds alongside the two central figures in the long-running talks between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, while Gareth Bale and Jimmy Anderson feature in a star-studded celebrity field, for what is poised to be an intriguing week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday, the tournament in Scotland features an individual event for the professionals - and a crucial one at that amid the closing weeks of the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai - and a team competition in which the pros are paired with amateurs in rounds across three famous links courses - St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns - ahead of a final round at the Old Course for the top performers on Sunday.
And the announcement of the pro-am pairings and playing groups for the week has proved to be eye-catching.
Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour commissioner, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, who is the governor of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) which bankrolls LIV, are both present in Scotland and will play in a group alongside each other and their respective professional player in Thursday's first round.
Teeing off at 9am from Carnoustie's 10th, Monahan is paired with American Billy Horschel for the week, while Al-Rumayyan is teaming up with LIV's Dean Burmester.
McIlroy, who is playing the tournament alongside his father Gerry, will then feature in the same group as Monahan on Friday and Al-Rumayyan on Saturday.
McIlroy was initially an arch-critic of the LIV Golf League when it launched in 2022 but admitted earlier this year that he had been "too judgmental" about those players who defected from the established tours, with the four-time major winner now keen to see a peace deal that moves golf forwards together amid continued talks over the framework agreement.
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Speaking during a practice round at St Andrews on Wednesday, McIlroy told BBC Northern Ireland: "It's a great thing and a good sign that Jay and Yasir are playing together on Thursday. I think it is a step in the right direction.
"Time will tell if things go in the direction I want them to or a lot of people want them to.
"I think we all understand it is not easy and, you know, change for the most part in golf is resisted because it is such a traditional sport. But I think at this point in time I think change is needed to sort of try and drive the game forward and hopefully we can get to that point."
A hopeful McIlroy then predicted when asked when the negotiations might reach a conclusion: "Definitely before the year's end.
"It's a pretty complicated deal, but I think we'll know more by the year's end hopefully."
This week's tournament is the first of the DP World Tour season's crucial final four events before the end-of-season Play-Offs in the United Arab Emirates in November.
In addition to McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and defending champion Matt Fitzpatrick are in this week's field, as are 14 LIV-affiliated players - including Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton, who play on the tour for the second successive week after their appeals against outstanding fines for defecting to the rival series over the past year.
Bale back in action and paired with Open breakthrough star
Bale, the former Wales captain and Real Madrid forward who retired from professional football last year, makes his second appearance at the event in the pro-am.
Bale made his debut at the event in 2023 and underlined his golfing abilities in the first round by shooting a one-under-par 71 around the fearsome Carnoustie course.
This year Bale is paired with England's Daniel Brown, the 29-year-old ranked 167 in the world who made a spectacular entrance to major golf at Royal Troon in July when he surged into The Open lead at the end of the first round after a five-under 66 and ended up finishing tied 10th to cap an impressive week.
Paired together in the teams championship, Bale and Brown will first tackle St Andrews in Thursday's first round with a 11.01am tee time when they will play in a group with Marcus Armitage and singer Tom Chaplin from Keane.
On Friday, Bale's group includes Sky Sports pundit and fellow ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp when they will play Carnoustie from 9.55am, while on Saturday he will be part of the same four as Netherlands and AC Milan legend Ruud Gullit at Kingsbarns.
Meanwhile, England legend and fast bowler Jimmy Anderson makes his own second appearance at the event and is teamed up with countryman Sam Bairstow. The pair are the third group off at St Andrews on Thursday morning at 9.22am.
Other sports stars in action in the pro-am include Sir AP McCoy, Sir Ian Botham, Sir Steve Redgrave and Kelly Slater, while the world of film is represented by Michael Douglas, Bill Murray and Kathryn Newton.
McIlroy, chasing a first victory in the event, and his father Gerry tee off at 9.11am at Carnoustie on Thursday, while Matt Fitzpatrick is again teaming up with his mum, Sue, to defend both the individual and teams titles he won in 2023.
With the professionals and their amateur playing partners split across the three famous courses for the opening three days' play in Scotland, Sunday's concluding round is played at St Andrews with the field reduced to the top 60 pros, including ties, and the leading 20 teams.
The DP World Tour heads to Scotland next for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where Rory McIlroy returns to action. Watch live on Thursday from midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the DP World Tour, PGA Tour and more with NOW.
