Tag: DP World Tour

Ryan Fox wins 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St. Andrews with late team partner on his mind

“To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warne.”

Ryan Fox didn’t just win for the second time of 2022 on the DP World Tour on Sunday, but he did so at the Home of Golf.

In front of his family visiting from New Zealand, the 35-year-old claimed the 2022 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by one shot at the Old Course at St. Andrews. After the final putt dropped, Fox was quick to mention someone who wasn’t there to celebrate his third win on tour.

“It means a lot,” said Fox after the round. “To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warne.”

The Dunhill Links features both an individual and team championship and is held across three iconic courses in Scotland: Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Fox and Australian cricket legend Shane Warne, who died in March, finished second in the team championship last year.

“He meant a lot to me and this event and was a great mate. It’s a terrible shame he’s not here,” added Fox, who said he felt his friend’s presence down the stretch. “Obviously I was pretty nervy the last three holes. I didn’t hit very good shots, to be honest, down the 16th, 17th and 18th. He was definitely helping out.”

After starting the final round four shots back, Fox took the lead through seven holes and was three holes clear with just as many to play. A late blemish on the 17th and par on the 18th secured the one-shot win at 15 under over Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren, T-2 at 14 under. Rory McIlroy, a three-time runner-up at the event, finished T-4 at 13 under with Antoine Rozner.

Shinkwin and Alex Acquavella won the team championship at 37 under.

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DP World Tour: Richard Mansell holds commanding lead with 18 to play at Alfred Dunhill Links

The final round will be played at the Old Course.

After three days of rotating between three world-class venues – the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, the 63 players who made the 54-hole cut at the Alfred Dunhill Links on the DP World Tour will play their final round at St. Andrews.

Richard Mansell leads by four at 15 under after posting a 5-under 67 at Carnoustie on Saturday. After making the turn with a 1-under 35, Mansell made four birdies and no bogeys coming home to separate himself from the field.

The 218th-ranked golfer in the world has missed two straight cuts but finished third at the Omega European Masters in August. If he does go on to win Sunday, it’d be his maiden victory on the European circuit.

Dunhill Links: Leaderboard

Daniel Gavins, Alex Noren and Ryan Fox are tied for second at 11 under, while big names such as Rory McIlroy, Billy Horschel and Robert MacIntyre are T-11 at 7 under.

Catch the final round action on Golf Channel from 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. ET.

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Photos: Brutal weather conditions challenge the players at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns

Playing golf in this weather doesn’t look like a good time.

The Alfred Dunhill Links is one of the best events on the DP World Tour schedule. Players rotate between three courses for the first three days — the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns — before the final round is played at St. Andrews.

Thursday’s conditions were built for low scores as the first-round leader was 11 under after 18 holes.

Friday, however, was a completely different story.

Weather was brutal on day two, as rain, wind and cold temperatures made for miserable conditions.

Billy Horschel and Matt Fitzpatrick, somehow, shot 1 under, while Richard Mansell leads by two thanks to a heroic 4-under Friday.

To be honest, playing golf didn’t even look enjoyable, regardless of the courses the field was playing.

Here are some photos from the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns on day two of the Alfred Dunhill Links.

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Watch: Rory McIlroy wasn’t too happy with this tee shot — then it almost found the green on a 400-yard par 4

Should 400-yard mishits be illegal?

Driving the golf ball like Rory McIlroy is the dream. Imagine being able to step to the tee box, stick the tee in the ground and bomb it 330 yards into every fairway.

Golf would be too easy.

Well, McIlroy showed off his ridiculous power yet again Thursday during the opening round of the Alfred Dunhill Links, this week’s DP World Tour event.

If you’re unfamiliar with this tournament, the field rotates between three courses for the first three rounds — the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns —before Sunday’s final round is played at the Old Course.

McIlroy played Carnoustie for the first round and on the 409-yard par-4 seventh he seemed disappointed with his tee shot, even taking one hand off the club.

His ball finished just short of the green.

McIlroy is T-40 after day one, shooting a 4-under 68.

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Photos: Alfred Dunhill Links at the Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns

Doesn’t get better than this three-course lineup.

It’s time for one of the most fun events on the DP World Tour.

Several stars of the game of golf have made their return to the Old Course after July’s Open Championship for the Alfred Dunhill Links, although The Home of Golf isn’t the only course hosting play this week.

Carnoustie and Kingsbarns will also be featured and so will family members of the DP World Tour players.

Rory McIlroy will tee it up alongside his father, Gerry, while Matt Fitzpatrick will play with his mom, Susan.

Dunhill Links: Full pairings list

Here are some photos from the week in Scotland at some of golf’s most famous courses.

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‘It’s incredible’: Guido Migliozzi fires final round 62 to capture DP World Tour’s Cazoo Open de France

It was a spectacular final round for Guido Migliozzi.

It was a special final round for Guido Migliozzi.

He started the final round of the Cazoo Open de France at Le Golf National in Paris five shots behind leader Rasmus Hojgaard, who had led after each of the first three rounds. But Migliozzi was the one hoisting the trophy on Sunday evening.

Migliozzi used an electric 9-under 62 final round to vault up the leaderboard and capture the Cazoo Open at 16 under. It is the third DP World Tour victory for Migliozzi and the lowest final round in 104 years at the Cazoo Open.

“I was confident that one day I was going to get in the winner’s circle again,” said Migliozzi, who recorded his first victory since 2019. “It’s incredible. I’ve worked really hard this season.”

Migliozzi began his round with five straight pars, but he found lightning in a bottle on the sixth hole. He proceeded to birdie five straight holes and eight in 10 to shoot him into a tie for the lead. But he played an excellent approach shot into the par-4 18th, leaving him a short par putt that he buried to give him the win.

Hojgaard finished at 15 under, one shot behind Migliozzi.

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‘I’ve got a dogged attitude’: Robert MacIntyre makes early case for 2023 Ryder Cup with Italian Open playoff win over Matt Fitzpatrick

“I get punched but I punch back and the birdies coming in were massive and thankfully I got one in the playoff.”

Roman golf fans will be treated to the best of the best next fall when the 2023 Ryder Cup descends on the city, and they got an early taste of what to expect from this week’s Italian Open.

Robert MacIntyre shot a 7-under 64 on Sunday to match 54-hole leader Matt Fitzpatrick at 14 under and force a playoff at Marco Simone Golf Club in Rome, which will play host for the biennial bout between the United States and Europe. Both Fitzpatrick and MacIntyre are poised to feature for Luke Donald’s European side, and it was the latter who left with the trophy for his second DP World Tour victory.

On the first playoff hole, MacIntyre’s tee shot found the fairway on the par-5 18th while Fitzpatrick’s sliced into the thick rough left of the fairway. From there the 26-year-old Scot just missed the green with his approach but got up-and-down for birdie to beat Fitzpatrick, who had to scramble for par.

In his post-round interview, MacIntyre said he, “was down and out two, three months ago, I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t know where to go,” before he praised his caddie, coaches, family and friends for supporting him through his struggles. After a pair of bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15, MacIntyre could hear the roars of the crowd as Fitzpatrick made a move, but he wasn’t deterred. Instead, he birdied Nos. 16 and 18 to force the playoff.

“We dug in. I’ve got a dogged attitude, never give up,” MacIntyre said. “I get punched but I punch back and the birdies coming in were massive and thankfully I got one in the playoff.”

MacIntyre was viewed as a snub for the last Ryder Cup matches in 2021 after veterans Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter were selected despite ranking 10 and 14 spots lower on the European points list, respectively.

“It’s my only goal for the next year,” MacIntyre said of making the European Ryder Cup squad. When it comes to team selection, with the future status of players on the LIV Golf series in question for the event, this week is a big step forward for MacIntyre and his 2023 goals.

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Matt Fitzpatrick leads, Rory McIlroy trails by one with 18 holes to go at DS Automobiles Italian Open

We’re in for a great Sunday in Rome.

The two biggest names in the field are at the top of the leaderboard with 18 holes to play at the DS Automobiles Italian Open.

The reigning U.S. Open champion, Matt Fitzpatrick, leads Aaron Rai and recent FedEx Cup champion Rory McIlroy by one shot heading into Sunday at Rome’s Marco Simone GC, the host of the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Fitzpatrick experienced an up-and-down Friday, at one point making five birdies in a row. But, he also had five bogeys on the card. Saturday was a lot less adventurous, although he shot the same score, a 2-under 69.

After playing his first nine holes 1 over, the 28-year-old Englishman came home with a bogey-free 3-under 33.

With a win, Fitzpatrick would rise to No. 2 in the DP World Tour Ranking.

Italian Open: Leaderboard

McIlroy couldn’t get anything going Saturday, shooting an even-par 71. He mixed three bogeys with three birdies. Entering the week, the Northern Irishman was the heavy betting favorite at +360.

He was one of the runner ups to Shane Lowry last week at the BMW PGA Championship.

Sitting tied with McIlroy is Rai, who used two eagles and no bogeys to sign for a 6-under 65. The 27-year-old has won twice on the DP World Tour.

Lucas Herbert, Victor Perez and Kurt Kitayama are tied for fourth at 8 under.

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LIV Golf: How each player finished at the DP World Tour’s 2022 BMW PGA Championship

Two players finished inside the top five while one withdrew and wound up at a college football game.

While the talk of the 2022 BMW PGA Championship is now about Shane Lowry’s win despite a late charge from the likes of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, the discussion leading up to the event at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, was focused on the presence of more than a dozen players from the LIV Golf Invitational Series.

Verbal blows from McIlroy, defending champion Billy Horschel and Ian Poulter were traded early on during the tournament week before the passing of Queen Elizabeth II forced play to be suspended on Thursday and Friday. As a result, the DP World Tour shortened the event to 54 holes, a main selling point for LIV Golf, the Greg Norman-led and Saudi Arabia-funded series that has long been criticized as a way for the Kingdom to sportswash its human rights record.

So if you haven’t already, make your joke about 54 holes now.

Before the event, LIV Golf wished good luck to 15 of its players in the field, leaving off Justin Harding, who competed in the first three LIV events, and Pablo Larrazabal, who participated in LIV’s first event in London. Two players finished inside the top five, six inside the top 20, three missed the cut and one player withdrew (then wound up at the Alabama-Texas game on Saturday).

Here’s how each LIV player finished at the 2022 BMW PGA Championship.

Shane Lowry birdies the last to win BMW PGA Championship, beats Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm by one stroke

“I don’t know how that missed.”

Shane Lowry gave an embrace to his friend Rory McIlroy as the latter strolled into the scoring tent.

“I don’t know how that missed,” Lowry said to McIlroy, referencing the 2022 FedEx Cup Champion’s eagle putt on the 18th hole at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. Lowry missed an eagle only minutes earlier, instead tapping in for birdie to take the clubhouse lead at 17 under.

McIlroy needed his putt to tie. It crept ever so close to the hole and came to a stop, seemingly staring inside the cup from the right edge. He knocked in the birdie, but it wasn’t enough.

Lowry was victorious after a brilliant final round 7-under 65 to capture the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour’s flagship event. Lowry was two shots back when the day began of overnight leaders Viktor Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen, but his birdie on the final hole, a par 5, gave him a one-shot victory over McIlroy and Jon Rahm, whose 8-under 29 (with a bogey) on the back nine Sunday propelled him into the clubhouse lead for the majority of the day.

2022 BMW PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after their putt for an eagle on the 18th hole stops short during the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on September 11, 2022 in Virginia Water, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

“It has been a good year. I’ve felt like I’ve been close a few times,” Lowry said. “I love it here. I’ve contended here in the past. I’m so happy.”

Rahm shot a 10-under 62 in the final round, but he had five birdies and two eagles on his back nine to take the clubhouse lead until Lowry’s closing birdie. Lowry, meanwhile, eagled the par-5 fourth hole to begin his day and then made five birdies on the way in.

Lowry played all three rounds without recording a bogey. He became the first Irishman, and second all-time, to win the BMW PGA Championship since Harry Bradshaw in 1958.

McIlroy, meanwhile, shot 5 under in the final round to finish at 16 under for the tournament, which was reduced to 54 holes following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. He also narrowly missed a birdie on the par-5 17th hole that would’ve gotten him to 16 under and in a tie for the lead.

McIlroy was in the fairway on the 18th when Lowry carded his birdie to take the outright lead. He knew an eagle was needed, hitting a 4-iron from 242 yards to 23 feet, 6 inches.

Yet his eagle putt came up just short, giving his good friend Lowry his first victory since the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019.

Talor Gooch finished solo fourth at 15 under. Before the leaders teed off, Patrick Reed completed a 9-under 63 to take the clubhouse lead at 14 under, but he finished in a tie for fifth with Hovland, Kjeldsen and Thomas Detry.

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