One leg Pro tees off at St Andrews

Manuel de los Santos, the 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic, will tee off at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. The game also includes superstars of the field, including Padraig Harrington and Ernie Els.

The only problem is the boy only has one leg. Manuel was a promising baseball player until, aged 18, he was struck by a car while riding his motorcycle. As the damage was so badly, Manuel has no choice but to accept the handicap that no other golfers want.

He said: "I hit four balls and I immediately felt good.

"I felt really well-balanced. I said, 'That's what I can do - let's go'." Manuel found he played golf better without the use of a prosthetic leg. Instead, he relied on his balance honed from his baseball days.

He also prefers to use crutches rather than ride a buggy between shots, saying: "I'm an athlete. That's why I walk."

In 2005 he joined the French Handigolf association and with a tough training schedule won the Spanish Open after just six months.

He's now one of the top five disabled golfers in the world and second in the European Order of Merit.

Last year he started competing with the pros for the first time on the Allianz Tour, as a representative of Handigolf.

And today he'll make his European Tour debut at The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

It'll also be the first time he has played the world-famous Old Course, which plays host to the multi-million pound event along with nearby links Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. He said: "It is my first European Tour event and I am thrilled to be representing the partnership with Allianz at the Home of Golf.

"It is a dream for me to play at the Old Course. So many greats of the game have played here and it has a special place in the heart of golfers.

"The partnership is helping people learn about the origins of the sport. That's something I totally support."

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