Mcilroy on a MISSION TO

£1.00 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Daily News & Order of Play ROUND 1, THURSDAY 26 SEPTEMBER, 2019 McILROY ON A MISSION TO WIN After three runners-up finishes at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and once again playing with his father Gerry, the world No 2 is aiming for victory at the tournament that launched his professional career as a teenager 12 years ago ory McIlroy tees off month, McIlroy will also have the The Championship, a celebra- year’s runner-up Tommy Fleet- at Carnoustie this inspirational support of dad Gerry, tion of links golf at its finest, is wood and two-time winner Tyrrell morning hoping by who will be playing alongside him staged over the Old Course St An- Hatton. Sunday to have filled in the Team Championship. drews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. This is the 35th year that Alfred Ra gap in his trophy cabinet. He said: “I’m really looking To win, Rory will have to beat Dunhill has supported golf at St The World No 2 has finished forward to it. I love links golf and the strongest field ever, which Andrews, through the Alfred Dun- runner-up three times in the Alfred the three courses we play. It’s includes World No 4 Justin Rose, hill Links Championship and pre- Dunhill Links Championship – in great fun playing with my dad. He World No 6 Jon Rahm, Open cham- viously the Alfred Dunhill Cup. 2009, 2011 and 2014 – and says it’s has been such a rock for me over pion Shane Lowry, recent BMW Since the creation of the Alfred about time for a victory. the years.” PGA winner Danny Willett and a Dunhill Links Foundation in 2011 “I’ve come very close a few Rory has had a close relationship formidable line-up of Major cham- more than £7million has been times and it would mean a lot to with the Championship over the pions, such as Ernie Els, Padraig raised for charity. me. With a bit of luck, maybe I years. In 2007, aged 18, he became Harrington, Martin Kaymer and can finally win it this year.” the youngest player to earn a Euro- Graeme McDowell. Buoyed by his Tour Champion- pean Tour card from tournament Also in the field are defending ship and FedEx Cup wins last play when he finished third. champion Lucas Bjerregaard, last @dunhilllinks @alfreddunhilllinks Photographs courtesy of Getty Images and Ian McIlgorm TEAM JUSTINS OFF AND RUNNING ’Justin (Timberlake) is always competitive, typically when his shot comes around he tends to bring out his best stuff’ says World No 4 Justin (Rose) ustin Rose is excited to Justin,” said Rose. “We’ve done the be back playing at the AT&T a couple of times together and Alfred Dunhill Links floated the idea of doing this one a Championship for the couple years ago. He’s touring a Jfirst time in over a decade. lot but this year it worked for both The Englishman’s last of us to come and play. appearance was back in 2008 “He got into town on Saturday. and this year he has returned He’s played a few practice rounds with a bang, teaming up with and really enjoyed it. We’ve done superstar singer and actor the team building, the team bond- Justin Timberlake in the Team ing and now we’re going to do the Championship. team scoring, so we’re excited to “I can’t believe it’s been so get out there.” long,” he said. “It is amazing how Rose admits he has been im- time flies but I’m excited. It feels pressed with Timberlake’s golf like it’s a really nice time of year to game. “I teed off with him early in play here again. their practice round. He drove one “You’ve got to embrace the fun of the greens early in the round. of this week – I think that’s the With the right wind and the right beauty of these tournaments. If time, he should be able to make a you go into it with a good attitude few birdies. and have conversations off the “The thing about Justin is that ball, then I think that helps.” he’s always so competitive. Typi- Rose has previously played cally, when his shot comes around, with his namesake Justin Timber- he tends to bring his best stuff.” lake – pictured right earlier this Of the three courses at the week during a practice round at Alfred Dunhill Links – St Andrews, Carnoustie, taking on the Spectacles Kingsbarns and Carnoustie – Rose bunkers at the 14th hole – at the is most wary of Carnoustie. “It is AT&T pro-am at Pebble Beach. It the one that has the least room was there that they first came up off the tee. It’s the most well- with the idea of teaming up in St bunkered and the one you have to Andrews. Timberlake finished a play the most conventionally. 13-month tour of his latest album, “St Andrews, you can always Man of the Woods, in April and the bail out to the left. Kingsbarns is opportunity to reform their double quite wide. There’s opportunity to act in Scotland emerged. miss a shot there and get away “It’s cool to be playing with with it.” JACK’S THE LAD FOR STEPHEN AFTER INDIAN OPEN VICTORY Fifteen years after becoming Alfred Dunhill Links champion, Stephen Gallacher has his 18-year-old son as caddie, making his latest title his ’greatest achievement in golf’ tephen Gallacher is but the 18-year-old has now been but we put him on a fitness regime hoping to repeat his successfully carrying his dad’s bag and he’s loving it. He started in 2004 Alfred Dunhill for over a year. mid-2018 and in his 18th or 19th Links Championship “I was looking for a caddie and event we managed to get a victory Svictory – this time with his son Jack has been around golf all his – at the Hero Indian Open [in Jack as his caddie. life,” explained Gallacher. March 2019] – which was my Gallacher junior was too young “The only thing I wondered greatest achievement in golf, to to remember that breakthrough about was the physical aspect of it have my son on the bag.” European Tour win 15 years ago, and whether he could cope with it, Gallacher fondly recalls his TEAM TITLE IS THE TOP PRIORITY FOR SHANE hane Lowry has revealed his main ambition this week is to win the Team SChampionship. The Open champion has partnered with Gerry McManus – brother of Irish businessman and racehorse owner JP McManus – in 10 of the 11 years he has competed at the tournament and a joint victory would mean more to Lowry than a third European Tour title of 2019. “I would obviously love to win the tournament as an individual, but I would give anything to win as a team, for Gerry,” said Lowry, who had that prize in his sights on the final round six years ago. “We had a chance to win in 2013. We were two ahead in the Team Championship but I played 2004 victory. “I ended up tying a bad last five holes and we lost by with Graeme [McDowell] and a shot, so that was hard to take. playing a playoff. Both of us hit “It would be great to win the good shots down the middle and Team Championship. I’ll be reading unfortunately Graeme was in a Gerry’s putts and trying my best divot. He hit in the burn and I for him to shoot the lowest scores knocked it stiff. we can. We keep in touch and I see “It was my first victory and it him four or five times a year, was a long time coming, but it whether it’s in Ireland or outside couldn’t have been anywhere of Ireland. We have a friendship.” better than the Home of Golf.” World No 6 Jon Rahm will be Jack, a one handicapper, has playing with his father Edorta, relished the experience of carrying who brought him to St Andrews his dad’s bag. “My course manage- for the first time when he was four. ment has always been good which He said: “Both my parents have is the most important thing for done so much for me related to being a caddie,” he said. "You are golf, it’s great to be able to do learning on the job and I am on something for him. It was a the line as much as he is.” Christmas present.” FRIENDLY FORMAT IS BIG DRAW FOR TOMMY ommy Fleetwood says the camaraderie between professional players and their Tamateur partners makes the Alfred Dunhill Links Champ- ionship “a very special week”. The Ryder Cup star finished tied second in last year’s individual event, matching his result in 2014. He said: “I have been very lucky with my partners, including being paired with Ogden Phipps for the last few years. I’ve also played with Tim Henman and Harry van Dyk. I’ve really enjoyed every single one I’ve played in, and it’s great to come back and know you are going to have such a good time. “The Old Course is my favourite golf course in the world, but it is the unique format and the camaraderie with the amateurs which makes it a very special week. Players and amateurs hang out together, which is great.” The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship celebrates links golf at its finest and is played over the Old Course at St An- drews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns Golf Links.

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