£1.00 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Daily News & Order of Play ROUND 3, SATURDAY 28 SEPTEMBER, 2019 GRADUATION DAY FOR JORDAN Matthew Jordan was invited to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Champiionship and now the 23-year-old Englishman leads at the halfway stage – and behind him a trio of Scots are chasing a first home win since Colin Montgomerie in 2005 atthew Jordan Scottish galleries came for three of to get carried away as today he PRO LEADERS moved confidently their own: Hill, Russell Knox and will be playing Carnoustie, the up in class from Richie Ramsay, who all strength- toughest of the three courses. Matthew Jordan -14 the Challenge Tour ened their challenge and offer the "Whatever my position right Matthew Southgate -13 Mto take the halfway lead into prospect of a first home win since now, it's probably slightly higher Calum Hill -13 today’s third round of the Colin Montgomerie in 2005. than those that have started on Joakim Lagergren -13 Alfred Dunhill Links Hill, 24, who is currently No 1 Carnoustie. After three rounds, I Championship. on the Challenge Tour, is from think you can look at your posi- TEAM LEADERS The 23-year-old from the Wirral nearby Kirkcaldy. He said: "It’s tion a bit better and judge what Henson/Botham -21 shot a 64 on the Old Course for a always nice to be at home and play you need to do for the final day.” Jamieson/Foley -21 36-hole score of 14-under-par and in front of family and friends and In a congested leaderboard, Rock/McFadden -20 a one-shot lead over Scotland’s it's even better that I played well Justin Rose is two behind after a Sharma/van Zyl -20 Calum Hill, England’s Matthew and they can enjoy themselves 64 at Kingsbarns, had an eagle and Southgate and Joakim Lagergren because of that.” nine birdies, but it could have of Sweden. Hill, who received a sponsors’ been better had he not had a double The loudest cheers from the invitation like Jordan, is trying not bogey at 11 and a bogey at 15. @dunhilllinks @alfreddunhilllinks Photographs courtesy of Getty Images and Ian McIlgorm BILL MURRAY’S SPECIAL DELIVERY herever actor Bill the first time at the 2011 AT&T at Murray goes, he Pebble Beach where the pair not leaves memories only won the pro-am title, but behind him. Points recorded his first ever vic- WNone more so than for 17-year- tory on the PGA Tour, edging out old Laura Bremner, the scoreboard Hunter Mahan by two strokes. carrier in his fourball at Carnoustie “2011 was the first time I got to yesterday. meet Bill. I was a big fan of all of As they passed one of the small his movies and now that we have huts on the course that serves got to spend more time together, food, Bill asked her if she wanted a I’m a big fan of him as a person.” hot dog? Laura, a pupil at Car- Since then, they have been reg- noustie High School, replied yes. ular partners at Pebble Beach, but She said: “He dropped the first this is the first time Points has one and then went back in to get played the Alfred Dunhill Links. me a second. Then he said 'take “I really enjoy this format and your time, eat it and enjoy it'. being around Bill and the rest of "I've seen Ghostbusters. It’s the amateurs. It’s a close-knit amazing. He's a friendly, funny guy. group and I’m really enjoying my I'm a bit overwhelmed actually as I first time here.” was carrying the scoreboard for It took Points a while to come Justin Timberlake yesterday!" to terms with Murray’s sociable Murray and his partner, the demeanour on the course, with American professional D.A.Points, the actor regularly joking with are on 14-under and still have a galleries. chance of making the cut in the “Once you are around it a cou- Team Championship. Points is an- ple of times, you get to know other who will never forget his when he is going to crack a joke first encounter, because it turned or engage the crowd. He always into one of the most memorable wants to keep it light and funny weeks of his life. and make sure the crowd has a Points and Murray joined up for good time.” FOCUS PAYS TOP POSTS OFF FOR McFADDEN egular partners, Robert Rock, pictured right, and Westlife star Brian McFadden, had Rone of the rounds of the day in the Team Championship with a betterball 61 at Carnoustie, generally agreed to be the most difficult of the three courses. Brian says: “Golf has become a massive part of my life. It’s right up there with music. I played golf as a kid, then took it up again about seven years ago. I’m very competitive.” McFadden is a firm believer that the camaraderie of the event helps to improve his golf and it showed as he and Rock moved up to second in the Championship on 20-under-par, one behind leaders #dunhilllinks Scott Jamieson & Cian Foley and Berry Henson & Liam Botham. TEAM JUSTIN FIND PERFECT HARMONY As Rose mounts a challenge with nine birdies and an eagle, his superstar partner has the moves to get them out of trouble ustin Rose went out in more so than at the 11th when, 28 at Kingsbarns before as Rose fell to a double bogey, carding a 64 that the singer and actor rolled in a included nine birdies and monster putt from 50 feet. Jan eagle to leave him two “I gave him the opportunity on shots off the lead – so he was 11,” said Rose. “I thought ‘he needs impressed that his amateur to do something today’ and he partner, Justin Timberlake, got stepped up. onto the scorecard at all. “It was fun. It was hard for him The two Justins have teamed to get on the card with me making up before, at the AT&T Pebble so many birdies, but every time I Beach Pro-Am in the United States, made a mistake, he was there to reaching halfway in an even it helps. I’ll hopefully get some and that chemistry was on display back me up. He improved me stronger position. But he was good mojo going and just ride it yesterday as they finished on three shots today, which is pretty happy to be in the pack as he pre- into Sunday.” 16-under in the Team Champion- good on a 64.” pared for back-to-back rounds at Sweden’s Joakim Lagergren had ship and firmly in contention to Tony Finau is a shot behind St Andrews. the day’s outstanding round at make the cut. Rose after a 66 at Kingsbarns – only “It’s a golf course that I like and Kingsbarns, a bogey-free 62 that On the rare occasions when a double-bogey as the rain ham- last year I was able to score pretty left him a single shot behind Rose’s focus slipped, Timberlake mered down on the 15th prevented well there, so I look forward to leader Matthew Jordan as he heads stepped into the spotlight – never the American Ryder Cup star from that challenge,” he said. “I do think to the Old Course. at Wentworth last week. “So it was sort of a Christmas present RAHM PLAYS FATHER for my dad, and he's been looking forward to it for a long time. I CHRISTMAS FOR DAD heard he was practising non-stop last week. “He plays a lot of golf, but this is The Spanish Ryder Cup player has teamed up with his father going to be a different experience. as a thank you for the support his parents gave him Both my parents have done so much for me, so it's great to be on Rahm has revealed are playing together for the first able to do something for him.” that his decision to play time in the Team Championship, It may be that Team Rahm will the Alfred Dunhill Links and Rahm admits it has been a get to play in front of the galleries Championship was a long time in the planning. tomorrow as they ended their JChristmas present to his “When I thought about it last second round yesterday at nine- father, Edorta. year, I believed it fitted into my under-par in the Team Champion- The father-and-son team, schedule,” said Rahm, who fin- ship, likely too far behind the front pictured right on the Swilken ished runner-up to Danny Willett runners to make the Top 20 who Bridge with Rahm's mother Angela, in the BMW PGA Championship play on the final day. RORY TAKES ROUTE 66 World No 2 Rory McIlroy was in fine form with a 66 at Kingsbarns. He had an eagle and three pars in the first five holes and, watched by playing partner Eddie Pepperell, hit this fine drive at the spectacular 7th hole. Today he moves on to the Old Course for his third round. KLITSCHKO HOOKED ON POSITIVE APPROACH ladimir Klitschko used to bring the same intensity to his golf game asW he did to the boxing ring. That approach did not serve the former world heavyweight champion well, however, and he now claims that a more relaxed outlook has been key to improving his fortunes on the course.