2018 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS
CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW
St Andrews M A G A Z I N E
US OPEN AND PGA CHAMPION KOEPKA HEADLINES 2018 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS FIELD
Reigning double US Open and US PGA champion Brooks Koepka returns to the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this week. Koepka, who won the US Open for the second straight year at Shinnecock Hills in June, has now won three of the last six Major Championships and says he is ‘delighted’ to be coming back to St Andrews. Koepka said: "I’m so delighted to be coming back to the Alfred Dunhill Links, and of course to play once again at St Andrews. Last time I played in the Dunhill it was with my dad Bob, and it was a few days I will never forget. "Being able to do that at the Home of Golf in such a prestigious competition with the great Scottish galleries was a unique moment for both of us.” Koepka has enjoyed a miraculous rise to the very top of the world game, it was a journey which began in Europe. Upon turning professional in 2012 Koepka took the
unusual decision for an American to join the European Challenge Tour, and it proved to be a truly spectacular choice. Within nine months he won his first title, the Challenge de Catalunya in Spain and in 2013 he lifted three trophies to secure his European Tour status, with immediate promotion to the world’s most global tour. Scotland has played a central role in Koepka’s rise, by winning the Scottish Hydro Challenge in Aviemore he secured promotion, and he made his debut as a full European Tour member at the 2013 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open. A tie for 12th place at Castle Stuart got the Floridian off to the perfect start on the European Tour. Then in August he returned to the home of golf for the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, finishing in a tie for 28th and his eyes were firmly fixed on finishing as high up the Race to Dubai as possible.
He ended the 2013 season in 113th place, just high enough to secure full status for 2014. Three top four finishes including the US Open at Pinehurst secured Koepka’s card for 2015 and now it was about securing a place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. A tie for ninth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship did that, but greater things were to follow in the Turkish Airlines Open. The $7million dollar event was part of the European Tour’s final series, and it was to be the big breakthrough for Brooks. A final round of 65 saw him victorious by a single shot over Ian Poulter. The win would move Koepka inside the world’s top fifty for the first time. It would enable him to play all over the world, and he then focused primarily on the PGA Tour. His final European Tour event of 2015 would be the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and he had another opportunity for glory in Scotland.
A final round of 67 put pressure on the Dane Thorbjorn Olesen, but would ultimately see him finish two behind, in second place. It was a great chance for success in St Andrews and he will likely be eager to crown his remarkable 2018 with victory at the home of golf. He will be joined by fellow American and world No.15 Tony Finau, another Major Championship specialist, who this year finished tied tenth in The Masters, fifth in the US Open and ninth in The Open at Carnoustie. Finau has shown tremendous consistency over the last two years and has become a household name without tasting victory since his win in Puerto Rico in 2016.
Tour, who finished runner-up to Jordan Spieth in the 2017 Open Championship at Birkdale. No American has tasted success in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, in contrast to the success the nation enjoyed in the old Alfred Dunhill Cup. The Americans won the cup on three occasions in 1989, 1993 and 1996 with teams of illustrious champions in an era when the Dunhill attracted many the world’s greatest golfers. In 1989 the US team featured both the US Open and Open champions in Curtis Strange and Mark Calcavecchia, alongside Tom Kite.
Both are members of the US Ryder Cup team which takes on Europe in Paris the week before the Alfred Dunhill Links.
Four years later it was Fred Couples, John Daly and Payne Stewart who walked away with the cup, and in 1996 Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker and Mark O’Meara were victorious.
Koepka and Finau will face some tough competition. Making his debut will be hugely popular American Matt Kuchar, seven-time winner on the US PGA
In fact, these nine greats of American golf were joined by Raymond Floyd, Lanny Wadkins, Steve Pate, Davis Love III, Ben Crenshaw, Lee Janzen,
Justin Leonard, Tom Lehman, Larry Mize and Tiger Woods, among others over the enormously popular 16 editions of the Alfred Dunhill Cup. In 1998 Tiger Woods played in St Andrews for just the second time, the first as a professional. He was a remarkable 14-underpar through his first three group matches as the Americans swept to a win in their group. Then in the semi-finals the USA were drawn against Spain, and the team of Woods, Daly and O’Meara were strong favourites to progress to the final. Woods was paired with the unheralded Santiago Luna in the second match, and after Daly had defeated Miguel Angel Jimenez it seemed a formality for the Americans to make it through. Coming into the week Luna was ranked 190th in the World Rankings, with Woods ranked number one by a clear point from Ernie Els. Shockingly Tiger shot a level par round of 72 and lost to Luna’s round of 71.
A dramatic bogey from Tiger at the road hole gifted the lead to Luna, who had been four shots down at one stage. A par at the last was enough to cause quite probably the biggest upset in the last 25 years. When Jose Maria Olazabal defeated O’Meara it was Spain who would face South Africa in the final. Alas there was to be no showdown between the world’s top two golfers in the final and no American has succeeded in the Dunhill since, with Peter Uihlein coming the closest in 2013, losing a playoff to David Howell.
FLYING FLEETWOOD BIDS TO BEAT BRILLIANT BROOKS AND SAVOUR DUNHILL DELIGHT
The world of golf is hoping for a classic rematch next month on the grandest stage of all, the Old Course at St Andrews, when US Open champion Brooks Koepka and the man he beat at Shinnecock Hills in June, Tommy Fleetwood, will compete in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Everyone remembers how Fleetwood shot a record-equalling 63 in the final round of the US Open, but still lost by a shot to Koepka. Now Fleetwood, the World No.12, says nothing would please him more than to turn the tables on Koepka. “He’s done it a couple of times to me in the US Open, so maybe I can get my own back at the Dunhill,” says Tommy. “I couldn’t do much about what Brooks did at Shinnecock, but I can look back and think what it might be like to have my first Major Championship, but hopefully that will come in time. “If I could do one thing differently about that week in Shinnecock it would be in the third round where I ended
up making a triple bogey. And I would love to play those last three holes again where I had chances to get better than a 63,” he added. Koepka has won three of his last six Major Championships – the US Open twice and the US PGA – but Fleetwood says he will be taking him on in very familiar territory when the Championship is staged from October 47. “I’ve always loved the Old Course, and the town, ever since I played the Links Trophy as an amateur. There are places in the town where there are pictures of guys sitting on the Swilken Bridge with the Dunhill trophy. I’ve come so close, three or four times, I would love to have my picture up there as well. “Tyrrell Hatton (champion in 2016 and 2017) has had some great runs the last couple of years and he’s obviously dominated for a while. If he does three in a row that’s an amazing accomplishment. But there are so many
quality players in the field. “It’s been a good season for me in terms of going over to America. Rising in the world rankings and holding my place is a good sign. I’ve established myself in the top 15 / 20 in the world. I would like another win or two, and I’ve got a couple of things to do to improve that.” Next week, before the Alfred Dunhill Links, Fleetwood will be regarded as one of the strongmen of the European Ryder Cup Team taking on the Americans at Paris’ Le Golf Nacional. How exciting will that be? “Very. It’s getting very real. I’ve been trying to leave the excitement as late as possible, but with the teams being finalised and the captain’s picks being announced it’s all getting going,” says Tommy. “It’s amazing to be part of it when you’ve wanted it for so long. “I think it’s going to be very special in Paris. I know America have one of the strongest teams in history for them, but I honestly
believe we are as well. It all depends how you play on the day, but I really do think we have a great chance this year.” For Tommy, from Southport in Lancashire, whatever happens on the golf course, it’s been a very special year. His son Franklin was born days before last year’s Alfred Dunhill Links and came to St Andrews with mother Clare. Tommy says: “It’s not the easiest emotionally being away so much on tour. You miss them, but it’s just a part of your life. It’s definitely the best thing that’s happened to me by a mile. Clare and Franklin will definitely be coming to St Andrews for the Dunhill. “When The Open was on at Carnoustie, after my morning tee time on the Friday we took him on to the beach in St Andrews. I had to take him just to have a look. It’s one of my favourite places.” Fleetwood has flirted with victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on two occasions. Last year he set a new course record at Carnoustie in
the second round to take the lead, but a lacklustre third round at Kingsbarns saw his hopes fade. In 2014 he was part of a thrilling battle for the title with Rory McIlroy, Richie Ramsay and eventual champion Oliver Wilson. He played the final 36 holes without making a bogey, shooting a 62 on the Saturday and 68 on the Sunday, both at the Old Course. Despite the birdie barrage he couldn’t find the extra one on the back nine to tie Wilson, and he gave up a golden chance on the final hole to force a playoff, missing a birdie putt from six feet. Fleetwood has a fondness for Scotland, with his first win on the European Tour coming at Gleneagles, emulating the likes of Sir Nick Faldo and Paul Casey, both of which made Gleneagles their first tournament victory. Three solid seasons in 2014, 2015 and 2016 gave Fleetwood the confidence to feel he belonged on the European Tour, and his second victory came at the 2017 Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf
Championship, but even better was to follow in a season which saw him crowned European Number One. Runner-up finishes in the WGC-Mexico Championship and Shenzhen International were followed by a fourth-place finish at the US Open. Another top ten at the BMW International Open preceded the biggest victory of his career to date, the HNA Open de France. The winner’s cheque of over $1million put him in complete control of the Race to Dubai, and after a season which included two wins and 8 other top ten finishes he lifted the Harry Vardon Trophy in Dubai. His world ranking soared too, ending 2017 as world number 17, some 82 places higher than the end of 2016. Coming into 2018 nothing has changed, and Fleetwood has established himself as one of the world’s best golfers. Another superb performance at the US Open and a second successive win at the Abu Dhabi HSBC
Championship have been the bedrock of a season which has seen him move to world number 12 and once again be in contention for the Race to Dubai title. He comes to St Andrews as unquestionably one of the favourites for the championship, and it would surprise nobody if the Everton fan was to add success in St Andrews to Gleneagles and complete a historic Scottish double, emulating Faldo and Lawrie. Fleetwood is the leading European playing in this year’s Dunhill, with defending Champion Tyrrell Hatton joining him on the flight from Paris. With the PGA Tour schedule in 2019 changing its final event to the last week of August there is every chance the Alfred Dunhill Links will benefit. The pro-am event will be part of a mouthwatering stretch of European Tour events in September and October including the BMW PGA Championship, British Masters, Andalucía Valderrama Masters,
Portugal Masters and OMEGA European Masters. All of which could benefit greatly from the changes to the worldwide schedule. With just seven weeks remaining in the European Tour season this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship can play a pivotal role in deciding things at both ends of the rankings. A win for Fleetwood would see him move into second place on the Race to Dubai, and Thorbjorn Olesen could move into the top 3 with a second win in the Alfred Dunhill Links. The Race to Dubai is the glory story, but the fight for survival is in many ways even more compelling. With many of the world’s best choosing to skip this week it is an opportunity for the players in the lower reaches of the Race to Dubai to secure their card for 2019. 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links runner-up Peter Uihlein sits 1 spot outside the mark required to keep his card, and a good performance at the home of golf would go
a long way to securing his status for 2019. Scotland’s Richie Ramsay is in greater peril of returning to qualifying school, sitting in 127th place on the Race to Dubai, some 60,000 points behind 110th place. It is also a crucial week for those sitting outside the top 60 on the rankings to move into that elite group and secure a place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship. Past winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Martin Kaymer is languishing in 69th place, and Graeme McDowell will want to go one better than his 2004 playoff loss and move into contention for a place in Dubai. Portugal Masters champion Tom Lewis and the first man to shoot 59 on the European Tour, Oliver Fisher, are currently on the outside looking in, and high finishes on the East Coast will put them within touching distance of finishing their season in Dubai. A thrilling week awaits us at the 2018 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Once more a gaggle of celebrities from the world of stage, screen and sports make their pilgrimage to the home of golf, with some old favourites returning. Hugh Grant, after a year’s absence, will hope to rekindle his partnership with 2013 Champion David Howell. Wladimir Klitschko proved a popular addition to the field in 2017, and he has accepted an invitation to play in 2018. A ‘super group’ of great music stars, past and present, will be playing, including current stars - Keane’s Tom Chaplin, Linkin Park’s David Farrell, music giant Ronan Keating and Brian McFadden, former lead singer of Westlife, Mike Rutherford from Genesis, and hugely popular legends Huey Lewis and Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres. Sports stars taking part include Sir Steve Redgrave, making his 18th straight appearance, cricketers Michael Vaughan, Kevin Pietersen, Allan Lamb and Shane Warne, Irish rugby legend Brian O’Driscoll, 20-times National Hunt
champion jockey Sir Tony (A.P.) McCoy and Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit. “I have been playing in the Alfred Dunhill Links now for many years, it is incredible how time flies!” said the former Dutch footballer. “I love St Andrews, it is a beautiful place. You can feel the history of golf every time you come here, I feel so lucky to be able to play in the tournament.” World Champion Surfer Kelly Slater returns and will be hoping to join forces with 2015 Alfred Dunhill Links Champion Thorbjorn Olesen.
2017 review Hitman Hatton strikes again for historic defence of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Successfully defending any title in golf is a rare feat, the last player to do so on the European Tour was SSP Chowrasia at the Hero Indian Open in March, but to defend a title won playing on three different courses, is something special. Tyrrell Hatton did just that on Sunday when he won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in spectacular fashion. Aside from the stunning late charge by Ross Fisher, Hatton’s golf was simply unmatched. In four rounds across three courses the Englishman made only two bogeys, and 26 birdies.
A phenomenal performance indeed. Starting the final round with a five-stroke lead, things could have been very different after he found the Swilcan Burn with his second shot to the first, but he played a stunning chip shot to save par and then reeled off four successive birdies to take the oxygen out of the chasing pack. Further birdies on the short par four ninth and the par five fourteenth gave him a mindblowing seven shot lead with four holes to play.
Even the incredible final round of 61 by Ross Fisher couldn’t deny the rampant defending champion, who sealed victory with brilliant second to the 17th, taking dead aim at the pin his ball came to rest some 10 feet behind the hole and the last hurdle was overcome. Hatton’s victory, if it was possible, was even more dominant than 2016, even if the margin ended up being one stroke less than 12 months ago. The victory moved him into 11th place on the Race to Dubai, and success in the Italian Open the following week saw him finish the season in the top five of the rankings for the first time.
With the many variables this championship throws up, such as being played over three courses in a pro-am format, to win it twice is special, to do it for a second time in a row is remarkable. A fact proven with Padraig Harrington being the only two-time winner and the best finish prior to today by a defending champion being Lee Westwood, who finished in a tie for fifth in 2004 after winning in 2003. “Yeah, I am obviously very happy. This was the first time I had ever defended a title or had the chance to do it.
You know, it felt like it was a lot harder today this year, well winning this year. I’m so happy I managed to get over the line” said an ecstatic Hatton. He acknowledged the amazing golf which Ross Fisher played in shooting a new course record, 61, to put the pressure on and how playing with Jamie Dornan had a positive impact upon his game again: “I didn’t see a leaderboard on the back nine until 16 and saw Fish was at 21under and I was thinking how well he was playing today.
The 15-minute wait on the 17th tee definitely made the tee shot harder than I wanted it to be. So you know, fair play to Fish. It was an incredible round of golf, and he certainly pushed me all the way.” “I was happy that we (Jamie Dornan) could play together again this year. Obviously, it’s a winning formula which helps me, so perhaps he should play with me every week!” Hatton said. Hatton wins €673,132 for lifting the title and could move as high as 22nd in the world with his second European Tour victory. He also moves to the top of the European Ryder Cup rankings.
Ireland’s Paul Dunne returned to St Andrews, the scene of one of his most unforgettable moments, to share the first-round lead in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts. In 2015, on the Old Course, Dunne became the first amateur since 1927 to lead the Open Championship after 54 holes. Now he has given himself the perfect start in his attempt to win his second straight professional tournament, following his success in the British Masters last week. After his 67, he will go out for his second round at Carnoustie today in a positive frame of mind. “Life is pretty good for me at the moment. The Open was a great thing because it opened so many doors. How many times are you going to lead The Open at St Andrews with one round to go? “It was a situation I wasn’t used to and it overwhelmed me a bit. It was one that slipped away, but I think I’m in a better place to deal with it now.” Dunne had four birdies and an
eagle at the 9th, where he drove the green and sank a 30-foot putt. His only blemish was a dropped shot at the 17th Road Hole. The Irishman’s victory last week was highly impressive, closing out the tournament with a final round of 61 at Close House. After losing a playoff at the Trophee Hassan II the 24-year-old has shown tremendous consistency without genuinely challenging for a title, missing only 2 cuts in his last 12 events, including 8 top 30 finishes. Colsaerts’ 67 at Kingsbarns proved eventful. He had a triple bogey seven at the 3rd but fought back with seven birdies, including a birdie, birdie finish. The big-hitting Belgian has not won a tournament since the 2012 Volvo World Match Play, but if he can perform in the same manner for the next three days then he could have the ability to end that drought, and given this championships’ habit of ending winless streaks who would bet against it?
Five players are tied one shot back: defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, Oliver Fisher, Ryan Fox and Shane Lowry, who were at St Andrews, and Joel Stalter at Kingsbarns. Hatton is attempting to become just the second player to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship twice and the first to successfully defend the title. The 25-year-old Englishman made six birdies and two bogeys on the Old Course, which was the destination for the leading players in the field, a move away from having them play at the home of golf on Saturday. Scotland’s David Drysdale leads the home challenge after a 69 at Carnoustie, while former US Open champion Graeme McDowell will be happy with his 69 at St Andrews. McDowell lost in a playoff to Stephen Gallacher in the 2004 Alfred Dunhill Links, with a course record of 62 on the Old Course on the first day. The Northern Irishman will be desperate to avenge that loss to the Scot if he gets the opportunity to do so,
Many people’s pretournament favourite Rory McIlory, playing with father Gerry in the Team Championship, began impressively with a birdie on the 1st hole on the Old Course, but eventually finished oneover-par. He said: “I feel like I've got off to slow starts here in the past and been able to recover and get myself back into the tournament. I feel like I can do the same again.” Rory McIlroy made a disappointing start to his bid for a first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title, but it could have all been so much different. The Northern Irishman rolled in a putt from off the green at the first for birdie and there was a spring in his step as he walked to the second tee.
After a pulled drive into the rough his approach failed to navigate the front bunkers and disaster struck. The bunkers, moved prior to the 2015 Open in a bid to make the approach more of a challenge, are penal, as McIlroy found out to his cost. His first attempt at extricating himself slammed against the lip of the bunker and the ball flew back over his head into the sand. A frustrated McIlroy pitched out and a chip and putt followed, with a double-bogey draining the early enthusiasm from the former world number one. A sloppy bogey on the par three 8th saw him fall further back and at 2-over-par it looked a long way back to the lead, which at one point was 6-under-par.
McIlroy however has shown resilience many times this season, which by his own admission has been a difficult one, and three birdies in the final ten holes at least managed to see him round in 73. The round, which is testament to his remarkable record, is his third worst score on the Old Course and just the third time he has ever shot over par. Today McIlroy will attempt to make a comeback on the hardest of the three courses, Carnoustie. He will no doubt have fond memories of the Angus links, which he made his Open Championship debut on in 2007 and on which he has hit a 400yard drive before. McIlroy tees off at 11:12 in the same group as Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood
Former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion Wladimir Klitschko was the centre of attention at the end of the first day’s play in the Team Championship, with hordes of youngsters and fans waiting for him at the conclusion to his round. Following his first round at the Old Course he seemed pretty keen to go over to his adoring fans, and had to be called back having forgotten to sign his card and fulfil his media obligations. Then after he had got that out the way the Ukrainian made time for a young lady to sign an autograph and to pose for a photo with her, the young lady looked absolutely over the moon, and Klitschko did too.
With his fans congregated around the putting green the Boxing legend hot footed it over to them, with chaotic scenes of youngsters and adults attempting to get the prized signature of one of the world’s most famous sportsmen. After signing a couple he made a quick exit but he also made some people very happy, which is the joy of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. A variety of stars from sport, stage, screen and business played the Old Course on Thursday, including Baywatch star Kelly Rohrbach., the 27-yearold from New York has appeared on TV, in a selection of movies and is a model, appearing in the 2015 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
She demonstrated a pretty neat and tidy golf game too. Jamie Dornan teamed up for a second successive year with Tyrrell Hatton, and the pair had a successful day, shooting an opening round of 62. Hatton has spoken of his delight at playing with the Fifty Shades star, and how he has a positive influence on his golf, and once again the Englishman is in contention for the tile after a first round of 68. Jamie Redknapp and Luke Donald were ecstatic at teaming up for the championship again, and the former football star seemed to have a positive influence on the once World Number One, with Donald posting an opening round of 70 on the Old Course. Former Australian Cricketer Shane Warne and his professional, New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, team up to shoot an opening round of 61 to lead the way in the pro-am event.
After wins at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and HNA Open de France, Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood is in position claim a third prestige title of the season on the European Tour and put daylight between himself and the chasing pack. The Southport man reeled off five birdies in a row in a recordbreaking low round of 63 at Carnoustie Golf Links to tie defending champion Tyrrell Hatton at the top heading into the weekend. Playing with pretournament favourite Rory McIlroy, new father Fleetwood birdied three holes on the front nine to go out in 33 but picked up the pace with a blistering back nine of 30, including a birdie at the daunting par-four eighteenth. Speaking after his round, Fleetwood admitted to being in the zone and not really realizing what he was achieving: “You don’t really think about it much whilst you’re playing”, he said. “to hole that one on the last and as you said it was a course record.
So all in all, a good day’s work, wasn’t it.” Fleetwood acknowledged the prestige of the achievement but also that a score like this wouldn’t probably be possible during an Open there: “I mean, I think I hit it in some place that you probably can’t hit it when the Open comes around. Any time you have a course record, especially on a golf course like this, it’s brilliant to have. Yeah, very proud at the moment.” A win here could extend his lead to nearly 1.5million points with the $7million Rolex Series Italian Open coming up next week, but Tommy knows that his job won’t be complete until he gets to Dubai. When asked if a win here would cement the Race to Dubai title, he said “I doubt it. Let’s concentrate on tomorrow first. I would love to win the tournament. But if I can keep making that cushion a little bit bigger, then it will feel a lot nicer.”
Fleetwood will be among seven of the top ten on the Race to Dubai which will tee-itup at next week’s Italian Open, an event with new importance following its elevation to the Rolex Series. The Englishman finished second to Oliver Wilson in 2014, losing out by a single shot, and a win here would put him exotic company of having won at both Gleneagles and St Andrews, two of Scotland’s iconic golfing destinations. Nobody in the sixteenyear history of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has defended the title, going into the weekend Tyrrell Hatton is in with a superb chance of doing so. The Englishman shot a superb round of 65 around Carnoustie on Friday, a round only bumped out of the limelight by Tommy Fleetwood’s course record 63. Seven birdies and no bogeys saw Hatton tie Fleetwood at the top on a thrilling day at next year’s Open Championship venue. Despite conditions being favourable a
round of 65 at Carnoustie is still notable and Hatton was happy: “Yeah, happy with today’s round. I got a couple of lucky breaks but obviously you need that. The putter came alive for me over the last 13 holes. It was a really good day.”
The sun shone, the stars came to play and the Angus public responded. The crowds at Carnoustie on Friday were large in number and energetic in support of the competitors in the second round of the 2017 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Hatton admitted to being motivated by the fact he had won the championship last year, “It’s a strange feeling to think I’ve won the tournament, because I look back and it doesn’t feel like it was me that won” said Hatton rather bizarrely.
Excepting Rory McIlroy, it was Jamie Dornan who attracted the largest gallery, with no disrespect to defending champion and co-leader Tyrrell Hatton. Dornan demonstrated his usual wildness off the tee on more than one occasion, and his approach shots were a little wild too.
After having played the Old Course and Carnoustie, it is on to Kingsbarns on Saturday, what is widely regarded as the easiest of the three courses, however Hatton doesn’t feel that will be an advantage: “Personally, I’ve never scored best around there, it’s always been the one where I have scored worst. Hopefully that run doesn’t continue tomorrow.” Hatton is 11-under-par after 36 holes and tied with Tommy Fleetwood for the lead.
One such occasion was on the first hole when his second flew into the crowd on the dunes surrounding the green, to leave him with a particularly tricky lie, as shown opposite. The other was on the eighteenth when his drive crashed into a photographer, it was lucky the man wasn’t seriously injured, with just the top of his lens a little dented. Jamie Redknapp proved popular alongside Luke Donald, the Dundee area is an
avid football supporting public and the likes of the former Liverpool star is one of the main attractions for some.
Another was Wladimir Klitschko, the former Heavyweight champion teamed up with Germany’s Max Kieffer, and the pair shared great camaraderie with the Boxer living in the country. Pre-tournament favourite Rory McIlroy demonstrated fighting spirit to defeat the frustration which was clear to all to see with his game. The former world number one played superbly from tee to green but couldn’t buy a putt, until the closing stages of his round.
Great birdie chances came and went on 1 and 2, before a poor bogey followed at 3. He bounced straight back with birdie at the 4th but a calamitous double-bogey at the par-five 6th gave him real cause for concern that Saturday would be his last day of an injuryplagued season. Then the real Rory stood up, with three birdies on the back nine to turn a possible 75 into a 71, and the Ulsterman heads to Kingsbarns on Saturday at level par and in with a chance of making the cut.
It was clear, as has been the case for much of the year, that his putting was the issue, for most of the round. He lost a couple of tee shots to the right, but in the main his long game was good. The three-time runner-up at the Alfred Dunhill Links Champion can still harbour hopes of bursting into contention with two low rounds, as unlikely as it may seem with him sitting 11 shots back of the lead.
Saturday was moving day and the two contenders for the title after the first two rounds moved in very different directions on a tricky day at Kingsbarns. A day after breaking the course record at Carnoustie, Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood crashed out of contention for the title with a lacklustre round of 76 which featured six bogeys.
By contrast the defending champion played 11 less shots than Fleetwood on a day which looks sure to have secured a second-successive Alfred Dunhill Links title for Tyrrell Hatton. The Englishman fired a second straight bogey free round and picked up 7 birdies to waltz round Kingsbarns in 65 and roar clear in his defence of the championship. "Last year, this event was a fantastic moment for me," said Hatton. "It's great to be back and I'm enjoying my first defence.
"Last year was a new experience for me going out leading a tournament and I managed to do a really good job. Made myself very difficult to catch, hopefully I can do that again tomorrow. "I'll certainly try my best to do that. That's all anyone can ever do is try their best and I'll certainly do that.
Having followed the early play of both Connor Syme and Rory McIlroy, whilst keeping an eye on the remarkable play of Tyrrell Hatton, I was wandering back in to town along the 14th, 15th and 16th with the leading group when something quite remarkable caught my eye.
Ryder Cup team member and two-time Alfred Dunhill Links runner-up produced a superb up and down from the road to keep his dream alive. With Hatton still to play the 17th the defending champion still had to navigate the road hole bunker and the road to ensure a comfortable victory.
The large leaderboard behind the 16th green had Ross Fisher at 21under-par. Suddenly this was game on, and my thinking had changed from ‘walk in the park’ or ‘procession’ to ‘dramatic’ and ‘thrilling’ in terms of the type of finish to this year’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Fisher drove into the valley of sin, and for the first time in since the Old Course came into being in the 1500’s a golfer stood over a putt to score the magic number in golf, 59. The first 59 in European Tour golf, at the home of golf, on the final day of one of the Tour’s premier tournaments. It simply doesn’t get much bigger than that.
After seeing Fisher pound a drive over the hotel shed into the middle of the fairway, I followed the charging Englishman down the road hole. Playing his second from the middle of the fairway was only half the battle on the 17th though, and a pushed shot onto the grass next to the road was not what would have been in his head. What followed was quite majestic, the 2010
The assembled masses held their breath, and Fisher took the putter back and through, only to see the ball come up some three feet short. Once he missed his second putt, only parring the hole, his dream of winning the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was over, and the prospect of someone breaking 60 at the Old Course was dead, for now.
He did however set a new course record, 61. 61 magnificent shots on a wild ride to come from nowhere and make the end of this seemingly dull tournament exciting and historic. Fisher began the final round at 10-under-par, some 8 shots adrift of Hatton and supposedly in a fight with Bourdy and Donald for the minor places. Bourdy began the best with birdies to take him to 16-under-par, but nobody could get close to Hatton. Soon the challenge to the lead was to come from Fisher. Four birdies in a row, from the second to the fifth propelled the Wentworth man to 14under-par, and another hat trick of birdies from 7 to 9 saw the four-time European Tour winner burn up the front nine in 29 shots and take second place alone. The Frenchman Bourdy fell away with two bogeys on the back nine, but Fisher kept up his relentless pursuit of Hatton. Another burst of birdies from 12 to 15 set up a grand finale, and the possibility of not only becoming the first player to shoot 59
on the European Tour, but becoming the first golfer in history to do it at the world’s most famous course. Alas, Fisher failed to birdie any of the final three holes, but he did give Hatton a brief scare and make the end interesting, and create a little bit of history in the process. Runner-up to Martin Kaymer in a playoff in 2010, Fisher admitted he went out thinking he was playing for second place. “It was fun. I knew obviously we were starting off kind of playing for second. Obviously, Tyrrell had a big lead but after my performance yesterday, I felt like there was a good one in me today around here, because you saw the forecast, and still a bit chilly but there wasn't much breeze.
When you get St. Andrews on a day like this, it's definitely bearable, but you still have to hit the shots. I got off to a fast start and managed to make some good putts early on. I think I birdied 2, 3, 4 and hit a lovely 3wood into 5, and left it literally hanging on the lip to be 5-under through five. I birdied 6, birdied 7, birdied 8. Unfortunately, a poor drive on 9 and then kind of caught fire a bit on the back nine. A shame not to birdie the last, a 60, but I'm not going to complain too much with a 61.” I wouldn’t have thought he would complain about a 61! Incredibly it is the second consecutive Sunday which the European Tour has seen a 61, last week it was to win by Paul Dunne, this week it wasn’t quite enough to overtake Hatton.
What a week of scoring we have had across all three courses, with both the Carnoustie and Old Course records being shattered by players who didn’t go on to win.
Flashback to 2013 Howeller scratches the seven-year itch and claims Dunhill Links in dramatic playoff against American Uihlein
David Howell ended his 7-year winless streak by claiming his first win in a play-off of his career and first title on Scottish soil, the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship came to a thrilling climax as the former Ryder Cup star and American prodigy Peter Uihlein contended for the title over two extra holes on the Old Course. Uihlein opened the day with a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els, Joost Luiten and Howell, but quickly his advantage was not just cut, it was swallowed by a bogey from Uihlein at the first hole and an extraordinary start from France’s Thomas Levet. The 2004 Ryder Cup star birdied the first five holes to reach 21-under-par and pull 2 clear of the American. Levet would shoot 31 on the front nine and back that up with birdies at the tenth and eleventh, reaching 22-under-par, but a bogey at 12 and double at 14 ended his impressive su rge up the leaderboard. Another challenge came in the form of Portugal Masters champion Shane
Lowry, starting in a tie for second on 18-under the Irishman birdied 3 holes on the front nine before chipping in for a two on the par four tenth. He followed that stunning moment up with an equally sensational birdie on the par three eleventh hole, but bogeys at 13 and 15 left him just a littl e short at the end the challenge of Els and Luiten never materialized and the likes of Clarke, Fleetwood and Schwartzel just had too much work to do. So, it came down to David Howell, a winner of 5 tournaments and Peter Uihlein, a winner of one – in Madeira. Experience versus youth. Howell’s approach to 15 ended up a couple of feet away and he holed for a stunning birdie to tie Uihlein on 23-under. He gave himself a good birdie chance at 16 but narrowly missed and had to settle for par before going on to hole a 10-foot putt for par on the 17th after missing the green short and right in the rough. Howell then drove with a metal wood off the
18th tee and split the fairway, but the ball struggled to cross Granny Clark’s Wynd and rolled back onto the road, meaning he had to play his second shot off the surface. He didn’t hit the ball far enough and ended up in the Valley of Sin and faced a pressure two-putt to l ead in the clubhouse. The man once renowned as the best putter on tour managed to make par with ease and this left Uihlein with a chance to win with a birdie. He played a wedge from 109 yards over the flag leaving himself around 10 feet downhill to claim the biggest win of his career. The ball narrowly missed right and he tied Howell on 23-under-par and the championship would be settled in extra holes. The play-off would be played over 1 and 18 until a winner was determined. Howell drew the honour and ripped a lo ng iron down the fairw ay and Uihlein followed suit. With 121 yards remaining Uihlein
played his wedge to pin high to give himself a chance of winning at the first time of asking; Howell had 105 yards and played to around 20 feet beyond the pin and would have the first attempt for birdie. He agonizingly missed on the left edge and Uihlein would have his chance for victory. The American’s putt lacked pace and missed on the low side, sending the play-off ba ck up the 18th hole. Howell retained the honour and focusing on making sure Granny Clark’s Wynd was out of play he smashed a driver up the left side, leaving himself 91 yards to the pin. Uihlein used a metal wood and had 105 yards remaining for his approach to the green. The Madeira Island Open champion flew the pin by 20-25 feet, Howell’s approach ended up 6-8 feet behind the pin. The Oklahoma State graduate narrowly missed his birdie attempt and the watching gallery around 1 and 18 focused their eyes on David Howell. Nervelessly he rolled the ball into the hole
and turned and celebrated in a fashion not too dissimi lar to Seve from 1984. Any win is special but as Howell said himself “It has been 7 years so please don’t worry if my speech takes a long time”, to win for the first time in seven years and to do it at the Home of Golf on such a gloriously sunny evening is the thing of dreams. The win caps a so far consistent season and propels the man from Wiltshire into the top echelon of worldwide golf once more. He moves to 12th in the Race to Dubai, qualifies for the WGC-HSBC Champions and secures his place in the other three final series events including the DP World Tour Championship. It also gets him into next year’s Volvo Golf Champions and winning the tournament carries an exemption to the Europ ean Tour until the end o f 2015. It wasn’t as if there weren’t opportunities for the man from Swindon to add to his five career wins; Portugal, Ireland, Abu
Dhabi and France spring to mind as occasions he was in contention but was undone by a loose shot or an uncharacteristic breakdown on the greens. But 2013 has been a much more consistent year for David and he felt at Gleneagles a win was around the corner and sure enough it was , or about 50 miles away as it happens.
A Celebration of Links Golf The courses of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
St Andrews The Home of Golf
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship may feature two other outstanding links courses in Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, but the heart and soul of the event is unquestionably in St Andrews, at the Old Course. Host to the Alfred Dunhill Cup from 1985 to 2000, it is at the Old Course that the title is decided on Sunday, and it is at the Old Course where the annual Fireworks Spectacular lights up the night sky on Saturday. The world-renowned home of golf has played host to Dunhill golf for over thirty years, and even the most veteran of golfers still gets a tingle down their spine when they step on to the first tee.
It is at St Andrews where the memorable moments of this championship’s history are etched into everyone’s minds; the hole-out from the Valley of Sin by Paul Lawrie to win in 2001 and Ernie Els’ 40-foot putt for birdie on the road hole in 2003 are two of many. The Old Course is where the drama unfolds as two titles are on the line, for the proam and the individual. The Old Course is a bit like a fine wine in that it gets better each time you taste it, as many of the world’s best golfers have said over the years. It is those golfers who appreciate the course for what it is that generally tend to succeed here.
There is nothing like the walk up 18 of the Old Course, or the view from the 16th green into town, or Hell Bunker, or the massive double greens. Simply put, the Old Course is unique, it isn’t tricked up, it is there for you to see and to play, to use the ground when its dry, or to fly it through the air when it is soft. Modern golf course architects couldn’t design a course like the Old Course today, they would get slammed by many of the media and double greens are an unusual sight at many courses now. But why? The Old Course does not use half the land of a modern championship course, and it is only its infamous loop which slows the rounds down, and of course the sightseeing,
It is still the case today of having to make your score on the way out and hold on coming back in.
Once aboard there are all sorts of subtle breaks which make reading the putt extremely difficult for any golfer.
It is the magnificence of its design that a hole such as the 16th, a reasonably straight hole and short by modern standards, yields very few birdies except from those golfers who play truly great shots from the tee and into the green.
Then onto arguably the world’s greatest golf hole – the Road Hole. This par four 17th hole is famous for the tee shot and the bunker, and the road of course, but it is the angle at which the green sits which makes this hole one of the hardest in world golf.
With the famous Principle’s Nose bunkers up the left and out of bounds down the right the tee shot is a narrow one, and even the long hitters must be guarded with Deacon Sime and Grant’s bunkers beyond the Principle’s Nose. The approach is to a green which is defended on the left side by the Wig bunker and which sits perilously close to the out of bounds.
A drive over the shed has become less intimidating with the advances in technology, but the second shot, with any club, is still incredibly difficult to judge. A birdie here is as rare as hen’s teeth and a par is more than acceptable in any situation. Then to finish it is possibly the most iconic drive in golf, off the 18th tee – Tom Morris.
The widest fairway in world golf suddenly can become much narrower in the mind when the pressure is on, and with the town in the background, the R&A Clubhouse staring you in the face and the throngs of spectators down the Links Road, this is a time to breathe and focus. Many of the competitors, with the right wind conditions, will drive this 357-yard hole, but the Valley of Sin and a difficult green to read stop it from being a total pushover. Some of the most iconic moments in the game have taken place on this green, and once again on Sunday evening it will be the final moments of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship which will stick in our minds for another 12 months.
Kingsbarns Brains and Beauty
Kingsbarns enjoyed a golden year, hosting its first Major Championship in the summer of 2017 with the RICOH Women’s British Open. The youngest of the three courses to stage the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship proved it could stand alone and host a huge event. Designed by Kyle Phillips and opened in 2000, this masterpiece of a links course is unquestionably the most aesthetically pleasing of the three courses, but also provides a fun challenge for the professionals and amateurs. The course was slightly re-routed for the Women’s British Open, with the first becoming the eighteenth and the second becoming the first, but it returns to the regular layout this week. The front nine offers up many birdie chances and can form the base of a good score. But forget the score, everyone who plays this week will have their breath taken away by the outstanding views at every turn.
The ninth hole is a spectacular par five which was made famous by lee Westwood’s albatross two in the 2003 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Each par three on the course is well protected by traditional pot bunkers and there are a variety of lengths, which is one of the hallmarks of these outstanding links.
Arguably the best part of Kingsbarns is its constant risk-reward nature. Par three’s ranging from 135 to 190 yards, par fours ranging 320 to 455 yards and four magnificent par fives ranging from 511 to 566 yards.
Arguably the most iconic par three holes on the links is the 185yard fifteenth which is played across the sea to a wide, but shallow green.
Undoubtedly the most outstanding of these is the 566-yard twelfth. The hole sweeps around the bay and finishes with a wide and shallow green sitting under the dunes. The views are splendid, and the risk is worth the reward on this hole given it is two thirds through the round. The player which takes the tight line up the left will be left with the shortest second into the green. Kingsbarns has one of the most outstanding collections of par three holes in Scotland, beginning with the 190yard second, which plays downhill and gives you a first view of the sea.
The fifteenth brings you close to the Cambo house and gardens, part of the Cambo estate which Kingsbarns golf links is part of. The course finishes with the superb par four 18th, which features a blind tee shot, and a green protected by the ‘cundie’ in front (from the 1700s), this will almost certainly be found by any shot which finishes short of the green. Kingsbarns may play as the easiest course during the week, with Branden Grace’s round of 60 standing as the lowest round ever shot on the links, and in this championship, but it certainly provides all the competitors with an experience they will never forget
Carnoustie The Test which beats the rest
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was conceived as a celebration of links golf, and there are few more celebrated links than Carnoustie. The 2018 Open Championship venue will be part of the championship rota for the 17th straight year and provide the stiffest test of the three courses when play gets underway on Thursday morning. Many links courses rely on the wind to test all facets of the game, Carnoustie however, demands razor sharp accuracy in any conditions. The Dunhill is the perfect opportunity for players to check out the course ahead of next year’s Open, and several of the likely field for next year’s Major will be playing this week. Rory McIlroy made his Open Championship debut at the course ten years ago, and Padraig Harrington and Paul Lawrie have both won Opens on the links, in addition to claiming the Alfred Dunhill Links title.
Established in the mid1800’s Carnoustie has been welcoming golfing visitors for over 150 years. The links, a public facility managed by the Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee, includes three courses- the Championship, the Burnside and the Buddon. In 2014 a new, free 6-hole course opened for play, helping to grow the game and inspire the next generation of golfers in the area. Carnoustie has been an Open Championship venue since 1931 and in 1953 was the first and only destination Ben Hogan visited in The Open. The Hawk famously won the championship, part of his then unprecedented triple of major championships in a single year. Since then the list of winners has been varied and the way in which they have won has been dramatic.
Gary Player won in 1968 and Tom Watson followed in 1975, before Paul Lawrie defeated Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard in a playoff after the Frenchman’s crazy finish. 8 years later Padraig Harrington claimed his first Claret Jug when he edged out Sergio Garcia, again in a playoff. The links have also served as host to the Women’s British Open and Senior Open Championship, which prior to 2018 made it the only venue in Scotland to achieve the accolade of hosting The Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open. The championship course is demanding from the start, with a fearsome opening hole measuring a modest 406 yards, but with a burn down the left side and accuracy is vital to set up an approach to a green set in a valley among the dunes.
The second hole continues the tone of narrow and intimidating, playing 463 yards and having a 60-yard long green, which can make it even more demanding. The course tests accuracy and length off the tee, and judgement of distance into the green, and as many have found over the years, you cannot play it successfully from the gnarly rough which lines almost every hole. There a variety of short and long holes, with arguably the most iconic and revered ones coming at the end of the round, with exception of the 6th – Hogan’s Alley, This 578-yard par five has out of bounds running the entire length of the hole down the left side, and cavernous pot bunkers up the right side.
This intimidating tee shot was fearlessly taken on in every round of his 1953 Open win by Ben Hogan, who found the gap between the bunkers and out of bounds in each of his rounds. The hole was officially named Hogan’s Alley in 2003. The aforementioned iconic holes which conclude the championship course come in the shape of a 248-yard par three, a 461-yard par four and a 499-yard par four. The 16th, 17th and 18th have played more than their fair part in determining the winners of each of The Open Championships played in Angus. And they will strike fear into most of the amateur competing this week. As if the tee shot wasn’t long enough, once you reach the 16th green staying on it is quite another proposition.
With sharp drops either side and deep bunkers front left and right, this could be the world’s most intimidating par three which doesn’t involve water. The 17th, called Island, demands a razor-sharp accurate drive to an island fairway created by the meandering Barry Burn. And of course, the final hole of this magnificent links is one of the most demanding and iconic finishes in all of golf. With the striking hotel as the backdrop this par four could be one of the world’s great holes. Perhaps one crumb of comfort is the pin positions for the week will be friendlier than an Open Championship, but whilst it is a thrill to play it, it will certainly be a daunting task for any competitor in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
Alfred Dunhill Links Champions 2017
Tyrrell Hatton
Jamie Donaldson & Kirean McManus
2016
Tyrrell Hatton
Danny Willett & Jonathan Smart
2015
Thorbjorn Olesen
Florian Fritsch & Michael Ballack
2014
Oliver Wilson
Peter Lawrie & Kieran McManus
2013
David Howell
Thomas Levet & David Sayer
2012
Branden Grace
Alexander Noren & Ernesto Bertarelli
2011
Michael Hoey
Nick Dougherty & Chris Evans
2010
Martin Kaymer
Robert Karlsson & Dermot Desmond
2009
Simon Dyson
Soren Hansen & Kieran McManus
2008
Robert Karlsson
John Bickerton & Bruce Watson
2007
Nick Dougherty
Scott Strange & Robert Coe
2006
Padraig Harrington Padraig Harrington & JP McManus
2005
Colin Montgomerie Henrik Stenson & Rurik Gobel
2004
Stephen Gallacher Fred Couples & Craig Heatley
2003
Lee Westwood
2002
Padraig Harrington Padraig Harrington & JP McManus
2001
Paul Lawrie
Sam Torrance & Daniel Torrance
Brett Rumford & Chris Peacock
3 MAJOR CHAMPIONS 2 WORLD NUMBER ONE’S 11 EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM MEMBERS 8 DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES 2 MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS 1 BACK-TO-BACK WINNER 3 PLAY-OFF WINNERS 2 MONDAY FINISHES 3 FIRST-TIME EUROPEAN TOUR WINNERS
Alfred Dunhill Cup Winners 2000
Spain
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Miguel Ángel Martín, José María Olazábal
1999
Spain
Sergio García, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, José María Olazábal
1998
South Africa
Ernie Els, David Frost, Retief Goosen
1997
South Africa
Ernie Els, David Frost, Retief Goosen
1996
United States
Phil Mickelson, Mark O'Meara, Steve Stricker
1995
Scotland
Andrew Coltart, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance
1994
Canada
Dave Barr, Rick Gibson, Ray Stewart
1993
United States
Fred Couples, John Daly, Payne Stewart
1992
England
David Gilford, Steven Richardson, Jamie Spence
1991
Sweden
Anders Forsbrand, Per-Ulrik Johansson, Mats Lanner
1990
Ireland
David Feherty, Ronan Rafferty, Philip Walton
1989
United States
Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Kite, Curtis Strange
1988
Ireland
Eamonn Darcy, Ronan Rafferty, Des Smyth
1987
England
Gordon J. Brand, Howard Clark, Nick Faldo
1986
Australia
Rodger Davis, David Graham, Greg Norman
1985
Australia
David Graham, Graham Marsh, Greg Norman
15 MAJOR CHAMPIONS 4 WORLD NUMBER ONES 17 EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM MEMBERS 9 US RYDER CUP TEAM MEMBERS 6 MULTIPLE CHAMPIONS 3 BACK-TO-BACK WINNERS
ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK SCHEDULE MONDAY-WEDNESDAY PRACTICE ROUNDS
TUESDAY PLAYER’S PARTY AND DRAW
WEDNESDAY MEDIA DINNER
THURSDAY ROUND ONE 168 PROFESSIONALS AND 168 AMATEURS TWO-TEE STARTS AT OLD COURSE, KINGSBARNS AND CARNOUSTIE 9AM
FRIDAY ROUND TWO 168 PROFESSIONALS AND 168 AMATEURS TWO-TEE STARTS AT OLD COURSE, KINGSBARNS AND CARNOUSTIE 9AM
SATURDAY ROUND THREE 168 PROFESSIONALS AND 168 AMATEURS TWO-TEE STARTS AT OLD COURSE, KINGSBARNS AND CARNOUSTIE 9AM CUT TO TOP 65 AND TIES IN PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND TOP 20 TEAMS IN TEAM EVENT
SUNDAY ROUND FOUR TWO-TEE START AT THE OLD COURSE FOR TOP 65 AND TIES IN PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AND TOP 20 TEAMS IN TEAM EVENT 9.30AM
CLOSING CEREMONY AND PRIZE PRESENTATION APPROXIMATELY 5PM
TV GUIDE WEDNESDAY 3 OCTOBER EUROPEAN TOUR WEEKLY SKY SPORTS GOLF THURSDAY 4 OCTOBER ROUND ONE SKY SPORTS GOLF 1PM FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER ROUND TWO SKY SPORTS GOLF 1PM
SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER ROUND THREE SKY SPORTS GOLF 1PM SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER ROUND FOUR SKY SPORTS GOLF 12.30PM
Image credits ALL IMAGES MATT HOOPER/ST ANDREWS MAGAZINE WITH EXCEPTION OF: DAVID HOWELL, Getty TONY FINAU, Getty DAVID HOWELL page 56, Recounter Kevin Kirk MATT KUCHAR, Flickr
©St Andrews Magazine Ltd. 2018