Alfred Dunhill Links 2018

lowry was top of my list too

in form , and might even get bad weather to put others off

but looks like hes on a few tipsters lists judging by the price

looks a better price on here, hope for a drift ...

agree with finau. looks a stonking bet and seemed like one of the few yanks who actually enjoyed the ryder cup. massively due as well it's about time he won another tournament.

think the "welsh" connection will also go well, dredge and donaldson.

I think Pardraig Harrington could go well at a massive price this week on courses he knows back to front.

THE RP LOWDOWN.....
Courses St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Prize money €4.26m (€676,133 to the winner).
Lengths - home of golf 7,307 yards; Carnasty 7,345 yards; Kingsbarns 7,227 yards (all par 72) Live on Sky Sports Golf from 1pm Thursday.

Course records – 72 holes of Dunhill Links Championship 264 Tyrrell Hatton (2017) 18 holes – St Andrews 61 Ross Fisher (2017); Carnoustie 64 Colin Montgomerie (1995 Scottish Open), Peter O'Malley (2007), Paul Lawrie (2007), Richard Green (2007 Open), Steve Stricker (2007 Open), Shane Lowry (2013), Alex Noren (2016); Kingsbarns 60 Branden Grace (2012), Peter Uihlein (2013).

Course winners taking part - St Andrews Padraig Harrington (twice), Stephen Gallacher, Robert Karlsson, Simon Dyson, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Michael Hoey, Branden Grace, David Howell, Oliver Wilson, Tyrrell Hatton (twice).

This Pro-Am features two rounds at St Andrews and one each at Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. The host course, with its generous fairways and a few par fours which can be reached off the tee, is easy if the breeze is light. But, as Rory McIlroy found to his cost in the 2010 Open, St Andrews can be much more of a devil in strong winds. The par-four 17th Road Hole is the toughest assignment on the track.
Carnoustie is the most difficult course – the long, demanding monster taking no prisoners in the 1999, 2007 and 2018 Opens. Carnoustie's closing four holes (three long par-fours and a 247-yard par-three) have destroyed many scorecards.
Kingsbarns is the shortest venue and another opportunity for low scoring. It is the only one with four par-fives, so big-hitters have an opportunity to make hay there. All three tracks are set up much easier than usual to give the amateurs a chance, so scoring is considerably lower in the Links Championship than the Open.
Zach Johnson won the latest Open at St Andrews in 2015. Francesco Molinari won the Open at Carnoustie in July.

Weather - Clearly players will be at the mercy of the elements with a clear weather forecast, but cold for the most part, and with a strong wind on Thursday and Sunday, and less wind on Friday and Saturday. Players drawn to play Carnasty on Friday should feel blessed indeed. - these Friday players include Finau, Pieters, Grace & Oosthuizen, Koepka(x2), HT Li, Kinhult, Kuchar with Fleetwood at 11.12am off the 1st, Hatton, Eddie Pepp, Fisher, Fitz & Sullivan + POD, Dunne & Lowry.

Type of player suited to challenge are those with bags of links experience from the British and Irish amateur scene, the Open and this event (which was first staged in 2001) will be best prepared. Links masters possess a range of shots to handle the quirky terrain and the forecast sea breezes. A sound temperament is required to deal with the amateur element of this event, with rounds taking an age to complete. A hot putter is typically required to keep pace with the lead in a low-scoring birdie-fest shootout. Last year Tyrrell Hatton broke his own 72-hole Dunhill scoring record, cruising to a successful title defence by a three-shot margin, posting a 24-under-par score.

The Ryder Cup angle is Matt Kuchar - 40/1 on debut - game hasn’t exactly clicked this season but having said that, Kuchar is something of a links specialist with three T10’s at the OPEN (including runner-up to Spieth at Birkdale). He also managed a seventh place finish at Carnoustie earlier this year. A vice-captain in Paris last week, we doubt he will be overly affected by that defeat. He joins FIVE players and four other vice-captains (Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Robert Karlsson and Graeme McDowell) in the fun this week direct from Le Golf National.

hatton for the hattrick?

early breakfast at scoring tent ?

Shambles as usual for this event - you’d have thought, given the focus on golf after last week, they’d get their acts together. Still, why did I ever think it was gonna be any different.

Came back to tease us for a minute.Surprised Brooks made par at 1 ,betting suggested bogey.

you could probably only follow one or two groups tho

Great when you back them after a birdie that only you know about ,what happens when they double the next and no fecker knows ?

you can work out some scores from the pro am scores,

not all of course but am scores seem to have a border around
them

His card says -7 for now.

R1 course averages:
Kingsbarns - 73.50
Old Course - 74.21
Carnoustie - 75.61

good catch, catch!

only 2 people shot under par at carnoustie today, fraser who's leading and swhabb who's a talent in the making imo, 36 amd 46 on here seems mighty generous with them thru the toughest test.

Nice round from Finau at Carnoustie today. Hope he stays in the mix tomorrow.
Shame another lady was hit, hard lines getting hit by a pro. I'm surprised more aren't hit at this event as folk stand in the same places as all-pro events yet some of the amateurs are wild things. Had a laugh at J.P. McManus a few years ago. From the 18th tee at St. Andrews he smacked his ball into the second floor window of one of the posh terraced houses on the right. He strolled all the way up the fairway as if nothing had happened, voiding his card. I suppose he can afford to leave his balls behind. I'd have been in amongst the patios looking for it.

KLITSHCO,sliced one of the 16th straight into the posh flats on the right bounced back onto the fairway off the windows, apparently resident came running down to confront the player

coverage of this by sky seems pretty feeble, no live play till 1pm (which presumably will feature lots of inteviews with the likes of piers morgan) by which time the current leader tyrell hatton will be close to finishing.

hatton crushing.

scoring around st andrews seems too easy for these guys now. too many short holes that are too easy to reach for the modern golfer. koepka about to go seven under on the round, fleetwood also seven under, hatton six under.

big tony a big disappointment. think he's turning into a nearly man, like this generations matt kuchar.

think tomorrow a bit of a crap shoot with the wind. no lead is big enough, although will be difficult to make too much ground on the leaders i guess.