Robert MacIntyre won on home soil for the second time in his career after he claimed the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, just one week on from a second Ryder Cup victory as part of Team Europe.
The Scotsman, who earned one and half points from three matches at Bethpage Black, carded a six-under-par round of 66 on the Old Course at St Andrews to win by four strokes from Ryder Cup teammate and defending champion Tyrrell Hatton.
After consecutive rounds of 66 at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, the Scotsman shared the 36-hole lead with South Africa’s Richard Sterne on 12-under-par with just one round at St Andrews to complete after the tournament was reduced to 54 holes due to inclement weather on Saturday.
Tom McKibbin finished best of the Irish after a closing four-under round of 68 at Kingsbarns moved him to -10 overall and into a share of 15th place. The Holywood man made six birdies – including one on the 18th – with two bogeys to round out another good week on the DP World Tour and he climbs four places to 57th in the Race to Dubai.
Conor Purcell closed with a two-under-par 70 at Carnoustie to finish tied for 32nd, climbing 11 places to 146th in the Race to Dubai, while Pádraig Harrington overcame a slow start to record a level-par round on the Old Course and end the week tied for 71st.
Birdies on the first, fourth, fifth and seventh holes gave 29-year-old MacIntyre a three-stroke lead at the turn and he kept his momentum going on the back nine at the Home of Golf with three further gains. A solitary bogey, just his third dropped shot of the week, saw him sign for a third round of 66 and an 18 under par total, giving him his fourth DP World Tour title and his first since winning the Genesis Scottish Open last year.
“Unbelievable,” was MacIntyre’s immediate reaction. “Any time you can win a golf tournament on these shores is special, but just delighted the way I did it. Played really nice over the three days, and yeah, here we are.
“The biggest thing on the three golf courses is to stay out of the pot bunkers, especially off the tee. And I’ve done that well, apart from the first hole at Carnoustie the first day.
“Other than that, I thought I managed it well, stayed out of the pot bunkers. But then once you’re in position, it’s about controlling the golf ball to then land softly around the pins when you get a chance, and I thought I did a great job of that.
“I had a laugh when we were driving the buggy back down to the clubhouse. I’ve done everything against the book this week, from preparation, I pitched up Wednesday afternoon. I know the golf courses. Played 12 holes on Wednesday. The diet has not been good this week; I can confirm that. I’ve eaten plenty of takeaways, fish and chips, plenty of others.
“It’s brilliant. I don’t know how we’re going to celebrate after the celebration we had last Sunday.”
Hatton, who won this event for a record third time last year, signed for a seven-under-par 65 at the Old Course as he finished in second place on 14-under-par.
Englishman John Parry also carded a six under 66 at St Andrews to share third place with Sterne, who carded a one under par round of 71 at Carnoustie.
The Team Competition was won by Australia’s Harrison Crowe and his amateur partner Cian Foley, of Ireland. Foley is a son-in-law of JP McManus, and the pair reached a total of 33 under par, with their highlight being a 14-under-par round of 58 at the Old Course on Friday.
“It was so enjoyable playing with Harrison and we had a great time,” Foley said.
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