After 12 months, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship once again came to the three classic golf courses in Scotland - Old Course St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links. The golf feast swept the DP World Tour. 168 professional players and 168 amateur players formed teams. Unlike the usual regular competition system, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship still consists of four rounds, but is divided into two categories, namely regular professional stroke play and professional amateur team competition. In the first three rounds, each group will consist of two professional players and two amateur players. Each group will take turns to tee off at the three major golf courses within three days. After three rounds, the competition will determine the qualifying line, and the best 60 professional players and the 20 highest-ranked professional and amateur teams will compete together on the fourth day.

Dunhill Links Championship ended successfully

The latest news is that the Dunhill Links Championship ended successfully at the Old Course of St. Andrews. Tyrrell Hatton of England shot -2 with 5 birdies, 1 bogey and 1 double bogey, and a total score of -24, holding on to his top spot with a 1-stroke advantage and winning the championship. Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium kept close to the score and also scored -2, with 4 birdies and 2 bogeys, and unfortunately finished second with a total score of -23. Tommy Fleetwood of England scored -21 and ranked third alone. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark, David Puig of Spain and Robin Williams of South Africa tied for fourth with a total score of -19. Haotong Li of China, Tom Vaillant of France and Jon Rahm of Spain ranked seventh with a total score of -18. In the team competition, Thorbjørn Olesen and Demot Desmond won the championship with an excellent score of -48, a 2-stroke advantage.

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Introduction

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a professional golf tournament held in Scotland and has been part of the European Tour since 2001. The tournament is known for its unique pro/am format and is usually held in October each year at three famous links courses: Old Course St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links. The tournament is not only a golf tournament, but also a social event, often attended by Hollywood stars, royal family members and other celebrities, making the event star-studded. The total prize money of the tournament is $5 million, including both the professional individual competition and the pro-am competition. Since its first event in 2001, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has become an important event on the European Tour. Here we briefly introduce the milestones of the event. In 2001, as a replacement event for the Alfred Dunhill Cup, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was first held and won by Scottish player Paul Lawrie. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a professional-amateur pairing (Pro-Am) tournament. This format increases the interactivity and entertainment of the event, attracting many amateurs and celebrities, including celebrities from the sports, entertainment and business circles, such as Bill Murray, Gareth Bale, etc., which increases the appeal and diversity of the event. Tyrrell Hatton made history in 2024, becoming the first professional golfer to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship three times. He won the tournament in 2016 and 2017 and won it again in 2024. Tyrrell Hatton tied his own tournament record set in 2017 with a score of 264 (65-68-61-70), 24 strokes under par, in the 2024 competition.

Dunhill Links Championship Highlights

In the first round, South African player Darren Fichardt scored -11 and continued to lead the way with a one-stroke advantage. Australian player Cameron John ranked second with a total score of -10. New Zealand player Daniel Hillier ranked third with Scottish player Scott Jamieson and English player Andrew Wilson at 9 under par. 49-year-old South African player Darren Fichardt has won five DP World Tour titles so far. He started the first round from the 10th hole of Kingsbarns Links Golf Course. Although he unfortunately swallowed a bogey on the 11th hole, Darren Fichardt scored 31 strokes with 1 eagle and 4 birdies in the nine holes before the transition. After the transition, Darren Fichardt continued to maintain a good state, performing the "eagle and birdie" drama from the 2nd hole. After successfully catching an eagle on the 3rd hole, he successfully birdied the hole on the 4th hole. Although he unfortunately suffered a bogey on the 8th hole, he had already obtained 1 eagle and 4 birdies before the 8th hole. Finally, he made a birdie putt at 4 yards from the hole on the 9th hole, and finally got 2 eagles, 9 birdies, 2 bogeys, and a score of 10 strokes under par, leading by one stroke. Rory McIlroy played steadily. After starting from the 10th hole of Carnoustie Links Golf Course, he successfully caught birdies on the 12th and 14th holes. After the transition, although he unfortunately suffered a bogey on the 3rd hole, he quickly caught a birdie on the 4th hole and putted in a birdie on the 8th hole, a standard 3-par hole. He tied for 73rd place with a score of -3 strokes. 

In the second round, Belgian player Nicolas Colsaerts and Australian player Cameron John led the way with a score of -14. South African player Darren Fichardt and Scottish player David Law were ranked T3 with a one-stroke difference. Nicolas Colsaerts started from the 1st hole of the Carnoustie Links Golf Course. Although he unfortunately had a bogey on the 3rd hole, he quickly adjusted his state and turned on the "birdie mode" afterwards. He successfully caught birdies on the 4th and 6th holes, and successfully caught birdies on the 9th hole, a par 3 hole before the transition, laying the foundation for the lead. After the transition, Nicolas Colsaerts did not have any bogeys again. He achieved "back-to-back" birdies on the 10th, 11th, 14th and 15th holes, and successfully caught birdies again on the penultimate hole. In the end, he scored 7 strokes under par and tied for the lead with a one-stroke advantage. Cameron John started from the 1st hole of the St. Andrews Old Course. Although he unfortunately swallowed a double bogey on the 5th hole, he caught birdies on the 4th and 6th holes in time to offset it, and birdied the hole from outside the green of the 9th hole before turning. After the turn, Cameron John successfully caught birdies on the 10th and 12th holes, and then kept pars. He successfully putted in a birdie putt from 7 yards away from the hole on the 17th hole, and tied with Nicolas Colsaerts for the lead with a total score of 14 strokes under par. Tommy Fleetwood, ranked 11th in the world, had a flawless score of 7 birdies. He tied for ninth place with a total score of -11. Rasmus Hojgaard, who is currently ranked fourth in the Dubai Race Points, caught 8 birdies and swallowed 1 bogey in the game, and finally got 65 strokes, with a total score of -9 strokes, ranking T22. Rory McIlroy played steadily, catching 4 birdies and only 1 bogey, and ranked T49 with a total score of 6 strokes under par. 

Three rounds. After three rounds, the qualifying line of the competition was set at -9 strokes, and a total of 71 players successfully advanced to the final round at the Old Course in St. Andrews. Tyrrell Hatton of England scored 1 eagle and 9 birdies at -11 strokes. His outstanding performance enabled him to get a total score of -22 strokes, jumping to the top of the individual list and leading by 1 stroke into the final round; Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium scored 2 eagles, 4 birdies and 1 double bogey at -7 strokes, and followed closely with a total score of -21 strokes. Tom Vaillant of France scored 10 birdies and 1 double bogey at -8 strokes, and a total score of -19 strokes, ranking third in the individual list; Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark scored a total score of -17 strokes, ranking fourth in the individual list; Tommy Fleetwood of England and James Ashfield of Wales tied for fifth place with -16 strokes. Chinese player Haotong Li and five other players ranked T7 with a total score of -15. Tyrrell Hatton started the round 3 strokes behind the leader. He started slowly and only made some progress on the 3rd hole, grabbing 2 birdies on the 3rd and 4th holes, and hitting an eagle on the 5th hole, and then another birdie on the 6th hole. After the transition, the 6-time DP World Tour champion was in hot form, grabbing 4 birdies on holes 12-15, and then 2 birdies on holes 17 and 18, and finally got a flawless score of -11, with a total score of -22, ranking first. Tommy Fleetwood continued to hand in a flawless score, getting 1 eagle and 3 birdies at -5, and ranked T5 with a total score of -16. Rory McIlroy's performance fluctuated greatly in this round. In the first 9 holes, he played well and caught 7 birdies. After the transition, the famous player suddenly "lost power", swallowed 3 bogeys, and finally got a score of -4, a total score of -10, and ranked T40th. 

Final. Tyrrell Hatton started the round with a 1-stroke lead. Nicolas Colsaerts was the closest pursuer. The two sides played a chase in the last round. Hatton caught 2 birdies in the first 9 holes, Nicolas Colsaerts got 3 birdies and 1 bogey. Tyrrell Hatton continued to lead and turned to the last 9 holes. At the beginning of the second half, the English player caught 2 birdies in a row and continued to expand his lead, but the continuous mistakes on the 13th hole made him swallow a double bogey, and then another bogey on the 14th hole. The Belgian player did not seize the opportunity and also swallowed a bogey on the 13th hole, but he caught a birdie on the 15th hole, and the two sides returned to the same starting line. At the last moment, Tyrrell Hatton made a birdie putt on the last 18th hole to lock in the victory. Tommy Fleetwood played well again, catching 4 birdies in the first 9 holes and 2 birdies in the last 9 holes, but unfortunately missed the par putt on the 13th hole, and recorded the only bogey in the last three rounds of this competition. He finally got a score of -5 and a total score of -21, rising to third. Rory McIlroy played steadily, catching 3 birdies in the first 9 holes, and after the transition, he got 2 birdies and 1 bogey, and finally got a score of -4 and a total score of -14, ranking T25.

Summary

With the successful conclusion of the 2024 Dunhill Links Championship, we feel the unique charm of golf and the specialness of this event. Tyrrell Hatton's third victory not only proves his personal excellence in skills and competitive state, but also writes a new chapter in the event. His success provides exciting moments for golf enthusiasts and sets an example for other players. The special thing about this event is that it pairs professional and amateur players, which not only increases the fun and interactivity of the game, but also brings golf closer to ordinary enthusiasts. Seeing golfers from different backgrounds compete on the same field and experience the fun of golf together is a unique experience in itself. In addition, the holding of the competition at the Old Course of St. Andrews adds a sense of history to the event. As one of the birthplaces of golf, St. Andrews has witnessed countless important moments in the history of golf, and the successful holding of the 2024 Dunhill Links Championship has undoubtedly added a new page to this history.