Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship – spherical one
-7 M Stewart (Sco), J Buchanan (Aus); -6 MJ Daffue (SA), C Jarvis (SA)
Chosen others: -4 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), S Straka (Aut), C Hill (Sco), S Bairstow (Eng); -3 B Koepka (US); -2 T Fleetwood (Eng); -1 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), R MacIntyre (Sco), L Westwood (Eng), I Poulter (Eng); +2 T Hatton (Eng)
On a day when Matt Fitzpatrick started his quest for a fifth win of the 12 months, Robert MacIntyre reacted furiously to a drone, Tyrrell Hatton’s frustrations boiled over, and Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter made a DP World Tour return after an absence of virtually 4 years, it was a participant from exterior the world’s prime 900 that stole the present on the Alfred Dunhill Hyperlinks Championship.
Scotland’s Michael Stewart, ranked 979, shot 65 to take a seat at seven beneath after outscoring a big-name discipline to share the lead on the finish of spherical one.
It gave the Scot a share of the lead after spherical one, with Australia’s Jack Buchanan.
Stewart, 36, has performed solely 5 occasions on the principle European circuit – the final in 2023 – and teed off lower than 24 hours after ending second within the Tartan Tour’s Duddingston Basic having acquired a sponsor’s invite this week.
Nonetheless, after making a solitary birdie on the entrance 9, an eagle on the par-five twelfth proved to be the catalyst for him the play the following 5 holes in six beneath after the flip.
“It is easy to get your self up for this occasion. I performed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday [at Duddingston], straight right here. I’ve performed right here loads prior to now and simply delighted to be a part of the occasion.
“I grew up on a hyperlinks course. I performed good all day to be trustworthy. Plenty of fairways, plenty of greens after which on the again, the putter acquired scorching.”
Stewart’s outstanding again 9 at Carnoustie and Buchanan’s equally spectacular rating at Kingsbarns, was in distinction to a number of eye-catching moments within the crew occasion that includes former sports activities stars and celebrities, who have been paired with the professionals.
Nonetheless, ex-Actual Madrid and Wales winger Gareth Bale did not less than present immediately shareable social media content material when his ball discovered the roof of the Jigger Inn, teeing off on the seventeenth at St Andrews – certainly one of three programs utilised to stage the match.
South Africa’s MJ Daffue and Casey Jarvis are a stroke off the lead on the skilled leaderboard, whereas Fitzpatrick, who was victorious on the French Open final week, signed for a four-under 68 to take a seat three photographs adrift.
5-time main winner Brooks Koepka was three beneath after a 69 at Carnoustie, a shot higher off than Tommy Fleetwood, whereas defending champion MacIntyre was one beneath on the identical course.
Westwood is at one beneath, with Poulter at stage par on their first appearances on the DP World Tour since January 2023, having made controversial switches to LIV Golf in 2022.
