Ryder Cup heroes Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Robert MacIntyre are relishing a return to the Home of Golf as they tee it up in this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The trio were members of the European side which regained the Ryder Cup last week in Italy, with Fitzpatrick earning his first point in the biennial contest, MacIntyre finishing the week undefeated and Fleetwood securing the half point which helped Europe win back the trophy.
They return to Scotland this week to play in one of the DP World Tour’s most unique events, with the tournament bringing together some of the world’s best golfers and some of the most recognisable figures in sports, entertainment and business.
Robert MacIntyre: “The weather is fresh. I’m not the freshest. It’s been brilliant. The journey, from when we won it, it’s just been a dream to be honest with you.
It’s been incredible from the bus journey to the team room to the celebrations to getting home. It’s been everything as a kid that I always thought it would be. It was even more than the dream… it’s a lifetime achievement that I’ve ticked off.”
Everyone in the field plays a round each on the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links, with a cut on Saturday night. The top 60 players and top 20 teams then return to St Andrews to play the final round on the world-famous Old Course.
New Zealander Ryan Fox returns to defend the title he won in stunning fashion last year, after carding a final round 68 to overturn a four-stroke deficit. Englishman Callum Shinkwin won the Team Championship alongside American art deal Alex Acquavella, with the duo teaming up again this week.
Fleetwood is also a former winner of the Team Championship, winning it with Ogden Phipps II in 2019, and has been a runner-up of the Individual tournament twice, also adding a further three top-five finishes.
Tommy Fleetwood: “It’s always an event that I’ve enjoyed. My dad actually said — my dad is here this week. He has always been here to watch and I think this might be my 13th Dunhill Links Championship, so I think it’s the event I’ve probably played the most on the DP World Tour.
“It’s an event that I’ve genuinely always really, really wanted to win and I always, still, I always kind of picture myself with the trophy on the Swilken Bridge and it’s just not happened yet. I’m looking forward to playing today, practicing and then getting started, and I’ll absolutely be giving it my all this week for sure.”
David Howell will this week set a new DP World Tour appearance record as he makes his 722nd start on Tour, overtaking Miguel Angel Jiménez as the leading appearance maker. 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn is also making his milestone 600th start.
Matt Fitzpatrick: “Obviously playing in Rome was pretty special but looking forward to this week. Been looking forward to it for a while since we decided to play again. Yeah, if the weather stays all right it will be great.
“They are all great golf courses, great layouts. I think for this format, that’s what makes it enjoyable. It’s not high rough. You hit fairways and it’s pretty enjoyable — and such a nice week.”
