St Andrews Magazine 2017 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Daily: Friday 7 October

Daily Newsletter

Friday 6 October 2017

Are the rest Dunne for? Paul leads again

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DUNNE AND COLSAERTS SHARE THE LEAD AFTER WINDY FIRST ROUND

ST ANDREWS, October 5, 2017 - 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 pre-tournament 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 one-over-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.”

UP AND DOWN DAY FOR MCILROY LEAVES HIM WITH MUCH TO DO

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 400-yard drive before. McIlroy tees off at 11:12 in the same group as Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood

CELEBRITIES STAR ON DAY ONE AT THE OLD COURSE

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-year-old 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.

ROUND TWO: MCILROY LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK AT CARNOUSTIE

Rory McIlroy will attempt to get his bid for a first Alfred Dunhill Links Championship back on track at Carnoustie today, after an opening 72 at St Andrews left him with much work to do.

The Northern Irishman burst onto the world stage in 2007 with a fine performance at Carnoustie in The Open, but it won’t be easy to shoot a low score on the fearsome Angus links.

McIlroy will tee off with father Gerry in the same group as Race to Dubai leader Tommy Fleetwood and his amateur partner Ogden Phipps II at 11:12.

Former World Number One Luke Donald will look to build on his opening round of 70 at St Andrews with a good score today, he and amateur partner Jamie Redknapp will be joined by 2013 Champion David Howell and Matthew Goode. The fourball tee off at 09:22.

Chris Hanson will play with Nikesh Arora in the same group as Martin Kaymer and Philip Kaymer (09:55) and they will be followed by Max Kieffer and Wladimir Klitschko (10:06)

St Andrews Magazine feature groups 0922 DAVID HOWELL/MATTHEW GOODE

LUKE DONALD/JAMIE REDKNAPP

0955 CHRIS HANSON/NIKESH ARORA

MARTIN KAYMER/PHILIP KAYMER

1006 MAX KIEFFER/WLADIMIR KLITSCHKO 1017 TYRRELL HATTON/JAMIE DORNAN

SHANE LOWRY/GERRY MCMANUS

1039 PAUL DUNNE/JEFF KILTER 1112

RORY MCILROY/GERRY MCILROY

TOMMY FLEETWOOD/OGDEN PHIPPS II

How to follow our coverage

Co-leader Paul Dunne and his amateur Jeff Kelter are off at 10:39, and defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and partner Jamie Dornan are playing with Shane Lowry and Gerry McManus at 10:17.

The full draw is available at alfreddunhilllinks.com and live scoring can be found at europeantour.com Live television coverage is on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm

We’ll have images from the European Tour Professionals on FACEBOOK and INSTAGRAM, along with regular updates from the tournament on FACEBOOK

We’ll have images from the Celebrities and Amateurs on TWITTER