No Spanish player has ever won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and that will remain the case after this Sunday unless there’s a major surprise. Tyrrell Hatton (-22) has taken command after equalling the course record at the Old Course in St Andrews. The Englishman has delivered a stellar card of 61 strokes at the home of golf. That’s what happens when Mother Nature doesn’t intervene in these parts. Calm and sunny, birdies galore. Today has been another one of those days.
Hatton has given the home of Old Morris the performance that Jon Rahm (-15) needed. Is the round from the golfer from Barrika bad? Not at all. It’s magnificent. He shot 65, seven under par, with seven birdies and no bogeys. It’s his best ever result at the Old Course, but insufficient given the circumstances. He needed something more after stumbling yesterday at Kingsbarns, on the windiest day of the three. He needed something like Hatton or, at least, like David Puig (-15), who signed off a sensational nine under par (63 strokes) at Kingsbarns, with a whopping ten birdies to his name.
Basically, Jon lacked more precision with the putter. From tee to green, he was outstanding, more solid and consistent than on Friday, but he missed a few more long putts. He only made two from over two metres, one of three for birdie on the 11th, the legendary par 3 forever associated with Bobby Jones, and another for birdie also on the 13th, the longest of the day, seven metres. Nothing more. It’s not much. Additionally, he didn’t manage to take advantage of either of the two par 5s at the cathedral. Jon leaves another personal record this week. It’s his lowest round ever at the Old Course and matches his best under-par result in Scotland.
Both Rahm and Puig will need a miracle this Sunday to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. They are required to sign a very low round and receive help from those above, and it doesn’t seem like Hatton is inclined to lend a hand. Moreover, tomorrow’s round is expected to be much windier, similar to Friday, even with stronger gusts. The Old Course won’t be the paradise it was today. Who does that benefit? Well, you never know. In theory, those chasing, as it’s easier to have a bad day and get tangled up. On the other hand, with strong wind, it’s much more challenging to shoot a very low round. Hatton might even be fine with par, as shooting 65 in a gale doesn’t seem easy at all.
In any case, hats off to Rahm and Puig who, for the second consecutive week, will go out with chances, albeit minimal, of winning on the DP World Tour. It’s quite an achievement. What David does every time he plays ‘away from home’ is exceptional.
Beyond these remote chances of victory, the Dunhill Links continues to be unfavourable for the Spanish players. Only Jorge Campillo (-12), today 70 at Carnoustie without bogeys, and Adrián Otaegui (-9), 71 at Kingsbarns, have made the cut. Left behind were Adri Arnaus (-8), with a painful double bogey on the 6th at Kingsbarns (finishing on the 9th), Rafa Cabrera Bello, Ángel Hidalgo, Nacho Elvira, Iván Cantero, Eugenio López, Santi Tarrio, Pablo Larrazábal, Sebastián García, and Manu Elvira. Special mention to Cantero, who reached the 9th at Kingsbarns, a par 5, with the chance to make the cut. He needed, however, an eagle, but ended up making a bogey. In any case, great fight and a lot of grit. These are the rounds that end up rewarding you later on.
As for the lead, Hatton, the big favourite looking to become the first to win this tournament three times, has a one-stroke advantage over Nicolas Colsaerts (-21), the comeback of the week, with three cards of 65 strokes. Three strokes off the lead is Tom Vaillant (-19), the Frenchman who can’t miss any recent DP World Tour party. Already in fourth place, further back, is Rasmus Neergaard Petersen (-17), author today of a majestic round at Kingsbarns (61 strokes). As for LIV, the aforementioned Hatton, Rahm, and Puig have made the cut, as well as Uihlein, Grace, Koepka, Burmester, and Reed, while Gooch, Surratt, Jones, Oosthuizen, Swafford, and Chacarra have been left out.
Regarding the guests playing the Pro Am, Hatton leads with his father, and Monahan and Al Rumayyan have missed the cut. Better some might think, as they have more free time to negotiate.
