Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Three members of the victorious European Ryder Cup team get to take a victory lap this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Tommy Fleetwood (8-1) is a two-time runner-up (2014, 2018) in this event. Matt Fitzpatrick (11-1) and Robert MacIntyre (40-1) are also here after achieving victory in Rome.
Ryan Fox (18-1) is the defending champion here and is also fresh off a victory three weeks ago at the BMW PGA Championship.
A few LIV Golf players received sponsor exemptions to participate in this week’s DP World Tour event: Talor Gooch (20-1), Dean Burmester (33-1), Louis Oosthuizen (33-1) and Peter Uihlein (40-1).
DP World Tour regulars in Scotland this week include Adrian Meronk (22-1), Jordan Smith (30-1), the runner-up two weeks ago in France, 2015 Dunhill Links winner Thorbjørn Olesen (35-1), Rasmus Højgaard (40-1), Yannik Paul (40-1), Joost Luiten (45-1) and Romain Langasque (50-1).
A couple of PGA Tour regulars are also playing this week with Billy Horschel (35-1), who has played frequently over the last month in Europe, and Matt Kuchar (45-1) in the field.
The Event
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which began in 2001, is structured similarly to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Each professional partners with an amateur for the pro-am portion of the event and plays on a three-course rotation consisting of The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links. After each pair has played each course, there is a 54-hole cut made, leaving the top 60 professionals and the top 20 pro-am pairs. These players will all play at St. Andrews on Sunday.
The Courses
The Old Course at St. Andrews is known as the “Home of Golf” and its history dates to the 15th century. It has hosted more British Opens than any other course (29) and currently hosts it every five years. The 7,318-yard, par-72 has a peculiar setup of 14 par-4s and just two par-3s and two par-5s. St. Andrews features seven double greens with huge, fescue/bentgrass putting surfaces. The 17th Road Hole, with its notorious bunker, and the closing 18th, which features the Swilcan Bridge and the Valley of Sin, are the most famous and iconic closing holes on the planet. Ross Fisher set the course record of 61 here in 2017. In the first three days of the tournament, the pins will be much easier for the professionals and amateurs but will be set up a lot tougher after the 54-hole cut.
Carnoustie Golf Links will be the toughest course of the three in the Dunhill Links rota. It usually scores around two strokes higher than the others. Carnoustie plays as a par-72 of 7,394 yards for this event and hosted the British Open (plays as a par-71 for the major) eight times, most recently in 2018, which was won by Francesco Molinari (-8, 276). The course record is 63, set by Tommy Fleetwood in the 2017 event. Carnoustie can also present an interesting betting angle if you have in-play wagering available. Typically, you will find good value on the players who play Carnoustie on Thursday as the players get the toughest course out of the way first.
Kingsbarns Golf Links, located six miles south of St. Andrews, is the easiest of the three courses. It plays as a par-72 of 7,227 yards so it is the shortest of the three. Unlike its cohorts in the Dunhill Links rota, Kingsbarns is a relatively new course and was designed in 2000 by Kyle Phillips, who has spent years under the tutelage of Robert Trent Jones Jr. Branden Grace set the course record of 60 in the 2012 event before going on to victory.
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Recent History
2022: Ryan Fox (-15/273); 80-1
2021: Danny Willett (-18/270); 100-1
2020: Canceled due to COVID-19
2019: Victor Perez (-22/266); 175-1
2018: Lucas Bjerregaard (-15/273); 50-1
2017: Tyrrell Hatton (-24/264); 22-1
2016: Tyrrell Hatton (-23/265); 66-1
2015: Thorbjørn Olesen (-18/270); 200-1
2014: Oliver Wilson (-17/271); 500-1
2013: David Howell (-23/265); 125-1*
2012: Branden Grace (-22/266); 50-1
2011: Michael Hoey (-22/266); 250-1
2010: Martin Kaymer (-17/271); 16-1
Playoff won in 2013 by David Howell over Peter Uihlein. – *
