Staff WriterTyrrell Hatton has barely had time to wash the champagne out of his Ryder Cup shirt before packing his bags for Scotland, where he’s hunting a fourth Alfred Dunhill Links Championship crown.
The Englishman, fresh off Europe’s triumph at Bethpage Black, now turns his attention to St Andrews—the Old Course where golfing dreams either soar or sink into the Swilcan Burn.
Hatton already etched his name into the record books in 2023 by becoming the first player to win the Dunhill three times, adding to his 2016 and 2017 titles. This week, he’s back to defend his crown and chase even more history on Scottish soil.
“It’s a quick change like back in some ways back to reality,” Hatton said. “Obviously last week was a very special week but now my focus is trying to defend this title. I have some time off after this week and I think that’s when I’ll have the time to reflect on how amazing the Ryder Cup was.”
Ryder Cup heroes roll into Scotland
The 32-year-old isn’t the only Ryder Cup star teeing it up. Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, and Robert MacIntyre—all fresh from Europe’s dismantling of the United States—will join Hatton at the Dunhill. Fleetwood summed up the team’s victory with trademark understatement:
“It is something that stays with you forever. I’m so happy for us all as a team that we did with a people—I don’t know whether people thought it couldn’t be done but everybody thought it was going to be really difficult, which it was in the end but very satisfying for us all to get it done.”
Fleetwood couldn’t resist a jab at Hatton’s record here either: “I’m nowhere near Tyrrell’s stature at the Dunhill. It’s like a gimmie for him when he comes around.”
Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, will swap Ryder Cup blue for Dunhill tartan: “It’s always great to be back in St Andrews for this week. It’s a different week to regular tournament golf with the team format and I’ll be playing with my dad this year so it should be a special week.”
Colsaerts’ farewell tour hits milestone
If Hatton represents the Dunhill’s present, then Nicolas Colsaerts provides a poignant link to its past. The Belgian bomber is set to make his 500th DP World Tour appearance before bowing out of professional golf at the end of the season. He finished runner-up to Hatton here last year and returns to the Home of Golf with a smile rather than regret.
“To set a milestone like that at the Home of Golf, I think anyone would feel grateful,” Colsaerts said. “25 years is a long time. Yes, I’ll be the first one to admit it, I could have done a lot better. I could have probably won about ten or 15 times on tour; I had what was required. But trust me, I had a lot of fun those last 25 years as well. I look back with not as much regret as a lot of people might think.”
Star-studded field across three legendary courses
This year marks the 24th edition of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a rare blend of professional firepower and celebrity amateurs. The action will unfold across the hallowed Old Course at St Andrews, the brute that is Carnoustie, and the picture-postcard beauty of Kingsbarns.
Ten Major champions headline the field: Fitzpatrick, Patrick Reed, Cam Smith, Danny Willett, Pádraig Harrington, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Martin Kaymer, Louis Oosthuizen, and Brooks Koepka.
Alfred Dunhill’s commitment to St Andrews goes back 40 years, when the first Dunhill Cup was staged in 1985. Since 2001, the Dunhill Links has stood as the longest-running title partnership in DP World Tour history.
As for Hatton, the course, the week, and the atmosphere seem to bring out the best in him:
“I’ve managed to play some great golf over the years at this event. I think maybe the slightly relaxed atmosphere this week helps me a little bit. Maybe that has something to do with it.
Last year, it was the first time I had actually won a tournament with my dad here. So that was really special and he had a front row seat, which is pretty cool. He’s been my coach since I was basically ten years old. We’ve achieved a lot together, and that’s really special.”
With the Ryder Cup still fresh in memory and St Andrews waiting, Tyrrell Hatton looks ready to remind everyone that in Scotland, he’s not just another golfer—he’s the man to beat.
