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

• Ball Striking

• Par 5 Average Scoring

• Sand Saves Percentage

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green

• Strokes Gained: Approach

• Scrambling

• Strokes Gained: Putting

• 3-Putt Avoidance

Betting Card

Robert MacIntyre (+1325)

Robert MacIntyre comes in as the defending champion, although winning a weather shortened event a season ago. Prior to his victory he placed 25th at this event in 2024, 25th in 2023, 20th in 2022 and missed the cut in 2021. Coming into this week he placed tenth in his latest outing on the DP World Tour at the BMW PGA Championship. He also placed 14th at the Amgen Irish Open. Dating back to the end of the PGA Tour season he was 28th at the TOUR Championship and T7th at the BMW Championship. MacIntyre also placed 28th at The Open Championship and third at the Genesis Scottish Open. On the DP World Tour, MacIntyre is currently seventh on Tour in SG: PUTT, 11th in SG: APP, 12th in par-five average scoring, 14th in SG: TTG, 24th in birdie-or-better percentage, 28th in three-putt avoidance, 29th in scrambling, 116th in ball striking, 127th in bogey avoidance and 154th in sand saves percentage. MacIntyre shows up on home soil. He also won the Genesis Scottish Open in 2024 and was second in 2023.

Jacob Skov Olesen (+4000)

When it comes to links golf, it’s hard to ignore what Olesen has done so far this season. On links-style courses he placed seventh at the Amgen Irish Open, 16th at the Nexo Championship and 30th at The Open Championship. He did miss the cut in his latest outing at the BMW PGA Championship but also placed second at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo and ninth at Danish Golf Championship. He also placed sixth at the Corales Puntacana Championship and 30th at the ISCO Championship on the PGA Tour. To continue with his known links course success, Olesen also placed fifth at this event a season ago. Olesen is currently third on Tour in three-putt avoidance, eighth in birdie-or-better percentage, 20th in SG: PUTT, 22nd in sand saves percentage, 29th in par-five average scoring, 30th in bogey avoidance, 47th in SG: TTG, 56th in scrambling, 67th in ball striking and 70th in SG: APP.

Matthew Jordan (+5500)

It wasn’t all that long ago when Jordan posted back-to-back runner-up finishes at the Nexo Championship and Danish Golf Championship. Since, he placed 26th at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Falso, missed the cut at the Amgen Irish Open and placed 51st at the BMW PGA Championship. He too has had some decent performances at this event across the past four seasons. He placed 32nd a season ago, tenth in 2024, 54th in 2023 and 36th in 2022. On Tour Jordan is currently 12th in SG: TTG, 32nd in SG: APP, 35th in par-five average scoring, 42nd in sand saves percentage, 59th in both birdie-or-better percentage and bogey avoidance, 81st in ball striking, 88th in scrambling, 108th in three-putt avoidance and 154th in SG: PUTT. The putter is and has always been Jordan’s downfall. There is no doubt that if he can spike with the flat-stick, he’ll be in contention this week.

Marcus Armitage (+12500)

My longshot this week is Armitage who has been quality at this event across the past three seasons. He placed 40th a season ago, 43rd in 2024 and second in 2023. He isn’t in the best of form coming into this week, missing the cut in his latest outing at last week’s FedEx Open de France. He placed 27th at the BMW PGA Championship but missed the cut at both the Amgen Irish Open and Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo. However, prior to that stretch of events, he was in great form, making the cut in eight consecutive events, highlighted by a runner-up performance at the Soudal Open. I’ve been vocal about the correlation between desert golf to links golf and Armitage was great in the desert earlier this season. He placed seventh at the Dubai Invitational and seventh at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. On Tour he is currently tenth in birdie-or-better percentage, 19th in SG: PUTT, 23rd in sand saves percentage, 29th in par-five average scoring, 48th in bogey avoidance, 61st in SG: APP, 64th in SG: TTG, 70th in scrambling, 73rd in three-putt avoidance and 114th in ball striking. Not a bad resume for someone priced 125/1.

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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