Scotland’s golfing hero Robert MacIntyre was crowned king of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the iconic 18th green at St Andrews after taking route 66 to the title.
MacIntyre, the pride of Oban, won his fourth DP World Tour event and his second in Scotland exactly seven days after starring for Europe in the magnificent Ryder Cup victory against the United States at Bethpage Black.
He said: “It’s brilliant, a special win, and as a Scotsman there is no other place I’d want to win more than St Andrews. I’ve won a Scottish Open last year, and now a Dunhill Links here – and also a Ryder Cup in between.
“The only thing that would top this is if I could win an Open Championship at St Andrews, so we’ll try our best to celebrate it tonight. Not sure how we’re going to do that after the celebration we had in New York last Sunday, but it’s going to be nice, especially with family having travelled over to watch me play today.”
HOME FAVOURITE
With huge home galleries cheering him every step of the way around the Old Course, MacIntyre shot a six-under-par 66 – his third 66 of an event trimmed to 54 holes due to the persistent high winds that caused Saturday’s scheduled third round to be cancelled.
MacIntyre is the first Scottish winner of the Dunhill Links since Colin Montgomerie in 2005 and only the fourth Scot to experience the thrill of holding the trophy aloft at the Home of Golf. Stephen Gallacher triumphed in 2004 and Paul Lawrie claimed the inaugural title in 2001.
Ever-popular Bob is now only the second Scot after Montgomerie to win both the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and the Scottish Open. Montgomerie won his Scottish Open title in 1999.
“To have my name on trophies that carry some of the great names in golf is really something special and as a kid I used to watch events like the Dunhill and dream of being able to play in them.
“And I’ve loved to come to St Andrews. I’ve been coming here with the family for years, sometimes just to walk on the beach and to be in the town rather than to play golf. But the whole place is golf heaven and I will always play here whenever there is a tournament on.”
RUNNING ON FUMES
MacIntyre also joked about becoming Dunhill Links champion after arriving back in Scotland “running on empty” and with few expectations following the hype and pressure of an away Ryder Cup.
“To be honest I don’t know how I’ve done it this week. I’ve done everything against the book. I came here just wanting to enjoy it and try to play well but I only pitched up on Wednesday, played just 11 holes or so on the Old Course and have done everything this week that I would not have done in a normal week.
“And it’s not just been no real preparation, although obviously I know the three courses well. My diet has not been good either this week – I’ve eaten plenty of fish and chips and other takeaways. Nor have I done any of my gym work.”
MacIntyre picked out the second of his three 66s as the key to his victory, a tour de force at Kingsbarns to defy heavy rain and strong winds that forced play to be suspended just after he had finished his round.
“All three rounds were important, of course, but Kingsbarns was the round that could easily have got away from me,” he added. “I even shocked myself with that 66. It was unbelievable. I know the level that I can play at, but I do keep shocking myself at times but to go out and do it this week and get over the line this week is very special.”
MAJOR FOCUS
As for the future, next April’s Masters at August is a massive focus now for MacIntyre. “It’s no secret that it’s Major Championships now that I want,” said the world No 9.
MacIntyre won by four shots from his fellow Ryder Cup hero Tyrrell Hatton, who shot a seven-under-par 65 at St Andrews to finish on 14-under-par.
Another Englishman, John Parry, was a further stroke back on 13-under-par alongside South Africa’s Richard Sterne, while the other two members of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team to play this week – Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood – both finished on nine-under-par.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a celebration of Links golf, played over the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, three of the greatest Links courses in the world.
With a prize fund of US$5 million, the Alfred Dunhill Links incorporates two separate competitions – an Individual Professional tournament for the world’s leading golfers and the Team Championship in which the professionals are paired with amateur golfers which creates a unique atmosphere.
CELEBRITIES
Among the celebrity amateurs playing were Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Bill Murray, Matthew Goode, Ronan Keating, Tom Chaplin, Dave Farrell, Mike Rutherford, Huey Lewis, Piers Morgan, Peter Jones, Andy Murray, Wayne Gretzky, Kelly Slater, Steve Redgrave, A.P. McCoy, Kevin Pietersen, Allan Lamb, Mark Nicholas, Michael Vaughan, Schalk Burger Jnr, Morné du Plessis and Rob Louw.
This is the 40th year that Alfred Dunhill has supported golf at St Andrews – first in the Alfred Dunhill Cup from 1985, then in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship from 2001. During that time, many millions have been raised for charity.
In June 2011 the Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation was established as the official Foundation of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Foundation is committed to developing young amateur golfers in Scotland and South Africa and also supports the University of St Andrews and the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation, which refurbishes and preserves historical monuments in the town.
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