Alfred Dunhill Links: Tyrrell Hatton defends title at St. Andrew’s
Tyrrell Hatton defends his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title in record fashion
Some days the Old Course at St. Andrew’s giveth, others it taketh away. It’s safe to say Sunday offered the former for Tyrrell Hatton.
Birdies abounded in a sprint to the finish at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. While Ross Fisher’s 11-under-61 won him the last lap, fellow Englishman Hatton crossed the finish line first to defend his tournament title and claim a three-stroke victory at 24-under. Fisher settled for his third runner-up finish at this event and second in as many years.
“What a great round of golf from Fish, it’s amazing,” Hatton told the European Tour. “He pushed me all the way and I was very happy to get over the line.”
Hatton entered the day at 18-under, five ahead of playing partner Grégory Bourdy. Hatton kept his foot on the pedal after three rounds in the 60s at St. Andrew’s, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, coming out with four birdies in his first five holes.
That didn’t stop Fisher from making a move despite starting out with an eight-stroke deficit. Seven birdies and no bogeys sent Fisher out in 29 to best Hatton by two and pushed him into second place.
Up and down from the road on 17 ↕️@RossFisher has the course record in his sights. pic.twitter.com/8h0BYpHxVp
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 8, 2017
Fisher poured in four more birdies on the back nine to pull within three with three holes to go and enter 59 watch. A two-under finish on St. Andrew’s trio of closing par-4s would have given Fisher the magic number, but he’d have to “settle” for the oldest course record in the world with a 61.
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“You almost want to keep going and I didn’t want it to end. At the home of golf I wanted to try and give that putt on the last a try for 59 and just came up a bit shy,” Fisher told the European Tour. “Unfortunately I’ve got to sign for a 61 but I’ll definitely take it!”
Meanwhile, Hatton extended his bogey-free streak to 55 with three closing pars to for a comfortable win. In the process, his 24-under mark broke the tournament record by one that he matched last year.
Notes
Hatton, 25, won his second European Tour title in 103 starts. He improves from No. 29 to 22 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Hatton’s tournament stats per the European Tour: Scrambling 91 percent (1st), putts per round 28.8 (T10th), greens in regulation 85 percent (5th), fairways 66 percent (T20th).
Jamie Donaldson missed the professional cut but stuck around Sunday to win the pro-am team event with Kiernan McManus.
Paul Dunne followed his win last week at the British Masters with a T7.
Like Fisher, Victor Dubuisson (-17, 3rd) had a crack at the course record. He needed to play the final three holes in one-under but bogeyed No. 16 and finished with a 63.
Marc Warren (T4, -14) earned high-Scot honors this week. A Scot hasn’t won the Alfred Dunhill Links since Colin Montgomerie in 2005.
Notable finishes: Luke Donald and Alexander Lévy T7 (-13), Graeme McDowell and Matthew Fitzpatrick T15 (-11), Tommy Fleetwood T25 (-10), Martin Kaymer T36 (-9), Branden Grace T47 (-8), J.B. Holmes T59 (-6), Rory McIlroy T63 (-4), Ernie Els MC (+1), Lee Westwood MC (+3).