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A unique high-stakes golf event, where the winner will walk off with a mouthwatering £1m jackpot, was announced last night.

The eagerly-awaited tournament will be held/hosted at Archerfield Links, the private members club in East Lothian.

Organisers hope to attract a star-studded worldwide field to the exclusive venue for the lavish ‘Cool Million Challenge’ which will combine golf and gambling for a prize fund in excess of £2m.

It is hoped former Ryder Cup captains Sam Torrance, right, and Ian Woosnam will take part in pursuit of the largest first prize in an unsanctioned event in the world this year.

Big-name US-based seniors have also been earmarked to compete over the Dirleton Links from August 3-6, along with leading ladies such as Laura Davies.

Promoter David Copeland, an entrepreneur in the online gambling industry and a keen golfer, is behind the concept to mix a high-stakes wager with an exciting pro tournament, two weeks after The Open at St Andrews.

Restricted to 60 talented golfers around the world meeting a strict criteria, commercial or individual sponsors – the gamblers – face the ultimate challenge to place their bet on a chosen player to win the £1m.

The professionals will compete over two rounds of stroke play, with the top 16, playing straight match play to establish the champion. The entry fee for the competition – poised to be televised – is set at £50,000 per golfer, representing the sponsor’s bet.

Copeland said: “I’m a gambler so I wanted to launch a golf competition with a high level of entry fee for a relatively small field. That gives everyone a chance of a top prize, namely the £1 million figure.

“I had to find a venue that was really exclusive, really private and there are not many clubs like Archerfield.

“I’m using my contacts globally in the gambling industry and commercial world, in terms of sponsorship, to drive together 60 teams.

“We didn’t just want a Tour event, we’re not looking for golfers in the top 500 of the world rankings, or those with a current European or US PGA Tour card.

“We’re looking for guys off the Nationwide Tour, the Challenge Tour and the Seniors.

“There are also people around the world gambling extremely high stakes who you have never even heard of, professionals in Las Vegas who don’t need to play on Tour but can win big money in gambling games.

“Over a course that is not overly long, we have also decided to include female golfers of any ranking and standard. We are hoping to have some of the world’s top 10 playing in it.

“Could they beat a guy off the Challenge Tour over Archerfield, or a leading Senior? So you start to have a dilemma and peak the interest of the gambler of where they think the value lies.”

Archerfield Links, designed by David J Russell, continues to grow in stature having already hosted Gary Player’s European Invitational, as well as Sir Ian Botham and Ronan Keating’s Celebrity Challenge.

The Ladies Scottish Open will also make a welcome return to the calendar at Archerfield from August 18-20 this year.

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Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered

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