Out of the Rough: Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (2026)
With just roughly a month remaining on the DP World Tour’s schedule before the DP World Tour Play-offs, the European based tour turns its attention to its only Pro-Am.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a one-of-a-kind event that has Europe’s best playing four rounds across three separate historic links venues.
This event was first established in 2001 and has quickly become an established tradition as we enter the 25th edition this season.
Being a pro-am, professional golfers and celebrities together will take to these historic links venues.
Event Structure
Each professional golfer in this week’s field will be partnered by one amateur as the duos each play one of three separate links courses in rotation over the first three days.
From there, the cut is made after the third round where the top 60 pros plus ties along with the top 20 teams progress to the final round that will be played at St. Andrews on Sunday.
In the event of making the cut, golfers will play St. Andrews twice as they play the other two venues (detailed below) once.
The Field
Once again, as the PGA Tour continues on with its FedEx Cup Fall series, many of the Tour’s best will be teeing it up this week in Scotland.
The likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre help headline this week’s star-studded field. Other notable PGA Tour regulars playing this week include Brooks Koepka, Alex Noren, Alex Fitzpatrick, Sepp Straka, among others.
An entire slew of LIV Golf Tour members will be in attendance this week. Nearly 20-or-so members of the LIV Golf Tour will be teeing it up this week.
That list is headlined by the likes of Tyrrell Hatton, Cam Smith, David Puig, Bubba Watson, Dean Burmester, among others.
Casey Jarvis leads the charge for the DP World Tour regulars coming in as the highest ranked golfer within the Race to Dubai Standings.
He’ll be joined by Jayden Schaper, Jacob Skov Olesen, Oliver Lindell, Daniel Hillier, Joe Dean, Davis Bryant and Hennie Du Plessis as those ranked within the top 20 of the Race to Dubai standings to be playing this week.
MacIntyre comes in as the defending champion, winning a weather-shortened event by four strokes over Hatton a season ago.
Hatton is a three-time winner of this event. He most recently won in 2024 and also won in 2017 and 2016.
Other former winners of this event playing this week include Matt Fitzpatrick (2023,) Danny Willett (2021,) Victor Perez (2019,) Lucas Bjerregaard (2018,) Oliver Wilson (2014,) Branden Grace (2012,) Padraig Harrington (2006 and 2002) and Lee Westwood (2003.)
The Course(s)
St. Andrews (Old Course,) Fife, Scotland
St. Andrews is arguably the most notable course in the world of golf and is oftentimes deemed as the ‘home of golf.’
It is oftentimes referred to as ‘The Old Lady,’ and is one of those courses that anyone who has ever once touched a golf club would like to play.
St. Andrews hosts the Open Championship every five years.
It plays as a par 72 at 7,318 yards.
The back-nine at St. Andrews is what makes-or-breaks a round. Holes 11-to-17 is the toughest stretch of holes on this course.
The greens typically play at around ten on the Simpmeter.
Of course, the true defense to St. Andrews is the weather. You can see how the weather is forecasted for this week below.
Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland
Carnoustie plays as a par 72 at 7,394 yards.
This venue has been the host of the Open Championship eight times. It was the scene of Francesco Molinari’s improbable victory in 2018.
This was also the place where we saw Harrington, who is playing in this week’s event, edge out Sergio Garcia in a playoff in 2007.
This course is often referred to as 'Carnasty' and is famous for its extremely deep pot bunkers.
Carnoustie is undoubtedly the toughest of the three tracks we’ll see this week.
Although it is the toughest course, it’ll be set up in a way to not completely embarrass the amateurs and celebrities playing this week. It will play nowhere as difficult as it has in its eight hostings of the Open Championship.
Kingsbarns, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
Kingsbarns plays as a par 72 at 7,227 yards.
This is the newest of the three courses we’ll see this week and is located just seven miles from St. Andrews.
This is a Kyle Philips design that was opened in 2000.
Kingsbarns is known for its generous fairways and few water hazards. It is not a difficult track by any means if the weather cooperates.
The 2012 winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship opened with a round of 60 here at Kingsbarns.
In all, these courses are all going to be set up in a way to help the amateurs. Expect a birdie fest this week.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, Thursday is calling for a 20-percent chance of precipitation. Friday is calling for a 25-percent chance, Saturday a 45-percent chance and Sunday a 25-percent chance. Temperatures will be the highest on Thursday and Friday with highs of 63-degrees. Saturday and Sunday are calling for a high of 62-degrees. Winds will be a factor this week, just as we can assume would be in Scotland during this time of the year. Winds will be the highest on Thursday at 15 miles-per-hour before shifting to 14 miles-per-hour on Friday. Winds will remain at 14 miles-per-hour for Saturday before finishing the week at 13 miles-per-hour on Sunday.
Key Stats
Birdie or Better Percentage
Bogey Avoidance
Greens in Regulation Percentage
Par 4 Average Scoring
Sand Saves Percentage
Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
Strokes Gained: Approach
Scrambling
Strokes Gained: Putting
Betting Card
Check back Monday (9/28) for my full betting card!
2025 Betting Card
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen (+2500) - T50th
Kristoffer Reitan (+3500) - T5th
Adrien Saddier (+6500) - T138th
Elvis Smylie (+10000) - T99th
Niklas Lemke (+25000) - W/D
2024 Betting Card
Alex Noren (+3300) - T12th
Thriston Lawrence (+3500) - T54th
Jordan Smith (+7000) - T35th
2023 Betting Card
Talor Gooch (+1800) - W/D
Adrian Meronk (+2200) - T114th
Joost Luiten (+4500) - W/D
Ewen Ferguson (+6000) - T54th
Nathan Kimsey (+7500) - T44th
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