Watch Out, He's Behind You
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£1.00 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Daily News & Order of Play ROUND 2, FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER, 2019 WATCH OUT, HE’S BEHIND YOU... Tommy Fleetwood looms over the early leaders at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after a 66 at Carnoustie left last year’s runner-up three off the pace set by Justin Walters of South Africa, with a pack of four one shot behind the leader outh Africa’s Justin one of the hot favourites. There about playing at St. Andrews. I PRO LEADERS Walters shot an was no disguising his intent as he don't know what it is, but you impressive 63 on a shot an impressive six-under-par walk in, and there's pictures of Justin Walters -9 bright, blustery day on 66 at Carnoustie, the most difficult everybody who has won it and Victor Perez -8 Sthe Old Course to take a one- of the three courses. I've always thought I'd like to be Jordan Smith -8 shot lead after the first round Fleetwood, who has been run- one of them. Ryan Fox -8 of the Alfred Dunhill Links ner-up twice in the Alfred Dunhill “There’s a long way to go, but Adrian Otaegui -8 Championship. Links and was second in the Open I’ve done all right in the past and England’s Jordan Smith, New Championship at Royal Portrush hopefully on Sunday I have another TEAM LEADERS Zealand’s Ryan Fox, France’s Victor in July, said: “Carnoustie is clearly a chance.” Reitan/Madden -12 Perez and Spain’s Adrian Otaegui course I feel pretty comfortable Fleetwood now moves on to Fox/Warne -12 are on 64, with a group of six other on. It’s always good to get off to a Kingsbarns, as does two-time win- Sharma/van Zyl -12 players a further shot behind. good round here and a good start. ner Tyrrell Hatton, who also shot However, they will all be looking “I’d love to have this event on a 66 at Carnoustie and is trying to over their shoulders at the menac- my C.V. I’ve always enjoyed it and become the first man to win a ing figure of Tommy Fleetwood, played well. There’s something record three Alfred Dunhill titles. @dunhilllinks @alfreddunhilllinks Photographs courtesy of Getty Images and Ian McIlgorm WALTERS: I FELT LIKE DAD WAS WITH ME irst round leader Justin Walters revealed the pain he has been suffering over the last Ffew months after his stunning 63 at St Andrews. The 38-year-old South African said: “I’d been swinging really well all year since the US Open, then I tore my hamstring. I finally got over that, and then I lost my dad. “It was quite hard. I just decided not to feel sorry for myself and dust myself off and come here. It has a healing quality. I don't know, it's hard to describe. "I was here with my dad when we lost mum, and just thought I was back with him.” Walters said he felt he was in control of his game and able to make things happen. “I haven't shot anything under 69 or 68 in a long time. To do it here at St Andrews is special,” he said. 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. The final round, after the cut is made on Saturday, is played over the Old Course. With a total prize fund of US$5million, there are two separate competitions - an in- dividual professional tourna- ment and a Team Champion- ship, in which each professional is paired with an amateur. LOCAL CONNECTION HELPS PEREZ TO FAST START AT ST ANDREWS Victor Perez has been living in Dundee while his girlfriend studies dentistry there, giving him a crash course in links golf that could be paying off for him this week renchman Victor Perez Englishman Matthew Southgate, shot a first-round 64 below, finished one shot behind for a share of second at Perez after shooting a 65 at St the Alfred Dunhill Andrews. “I’ve waited a long time FLinks Championship – then to go down the last hole with said it was all down to his local that feeling,” he said. knowledge. “In the last few years I’ve strug- Perez posted an eight-under- gled at this event when it gets cold par round across the Old Course because I’m such a feel player, but and admitted he is no stranger to we were blessed with the weather. the famous links. “I live in Dundee. “I hit it exactly where I wanted My girlfriend goes to dental school to off the tee. I got the pace of the here, so I’ve lived here for the last greens and made two really long year and a half. ones. I didn’t really hit a bad shot “Being around here and playing all day.” links golf when I’m not playing Meanwhile, world No 2 Rory tournaments definitely makes a McIIroy had a tougher time at big difference. Carnoustie, posting a two-under “I think a lot of the guys strug- round of 70 across the famous gle with the greens being slow, but Angus links. for me it’s just a normal pace that “I played okay,” he said. “I could I’m comfortable with. I don’t think have made a few more birdies, and you can play enough links golf. then I made seven on the 6th hole, OPPORTUNITY “I felt like the greens were re- which was not ideal. It was nice ceptive. There were a lot of scoring to birdie the last, and my dad bet- opportunities out there, and I tered me by five shots. It actually KNOX took advantage.” turned out to be a decent day.” Richie Ramsay, Russell Knox (pictured) and Calum Hill led a strong Scottish challenge after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Links. Ramsay shot a 65 at Kingsbarns to be two shots behind leader Justin Walters. Knox had a 66 at St An- drews, while Hill carded the same score at Kings- barns. A delighted Knox said: “It was probably one of my best ball-striking rounds all season. It was a good day. I’ve always played horribly on the Old Course, maybe my opinion will change after anoth- er good round on Sunday hopefully. “There are very few places in the world I've been to that are as special as St Andrews. It’s a dream come true. I'm very proud of my 66. “All of the Scots would love to win this week. There are few bigger ones than this for a Scot. It was great to play well. It would be great to be back here on Sunday with a chance and hopefully the crowd will get behind me.” BOYZONE STUFF AS RONAN SEES LEE HIT ANOTHER ACE Lee Westwood made his 18th career hole-in-one yesterday and his celebrity partner has been alongside him for two of them ee Westwood celebrated the putter. That was one way of a hole-in-one towards taking putting out of contention!” the end of his opening The hole-in-one enabled West- round at Carnoustie – wood to finish with a first round Lthe 18th ace of his career and, 69, three-under-par, and he added: remarkably, not the first he “What was nice was that I saw the has had when partnering ball all the way into the hole. singer Ronan Keating. Sometimes, when you have a blind Westwood admitted he was shot, or an uphill hole, you can’t frustrated with his game when he see it when the ball drops, but this came to the eighth hole – his 17th rolled across the green and just after starting on the 10th – and a caught the right edge. That’s 18 purely-struck 6-iron sent the ball holes-in-one overall, but I’ve had straight into the hole on the two playing with Ronan!” 189-yard par three. The team of It brought back memories of Westwood and Keating ended day Westwood’s albatross in 2003, one on five-under-par. when he hit a 4-iron on the 9th “The wind just dropped and I hole at Kingsbarns on the way to didn’t think I could get it there with claiming the Alfred Dunhill Links a 7-iron,” said Westwood. "I had Championship. It will not be easy been hitting good iron shots but for him to match that result, after nothing was dropping for me with finishing with a first round 69. FOX IN THE HUNT WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM COMPETITOR WARNE iwi golfer Ryan Fox the past couple of years. I’m a mas- believes that his sive cricket fan and there were friendship with plenty of texts going back and Aussie Shane Warne forth during the Ashes. Khelped inspire his first-round “[Today] was just a really solid 64 and a share of second place round of golf. I gave myself a lot of at the Championship. chances which I took advantage of The pair also posted a 12-under on the back nine.” par total in the Team Champion- Warne added: “To watch Foxy ship for a share of the lead and Fox shoot 64 was unbelievable. He had credits the camaraderie he shares five birdies on the back nine.