Catch me if you can. Tyrrell Hatton unleashed such a sustained bombardment on the Old Course during round three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the newly unveiled statue of Auld Tom Morris situated nearby was probably left nursing a shrapnel wound.
On a delightful autumn day in the cradle of the game, Hatton, a two-time winner of this title, barged his way to the top of the leaderboard with a thrilling, course-record equaling 11-under 61. That gave him a mighty 22-under aggregate and a one-shot lead over Nicolas Colsaerts.
At his happy hunting ground, Hatton prospered once again. In the pleasantly benign conditions, which left the Old Course as vulnerable to an ambush as a newly born gazelle that’s surrounded by a lurking pack of hyenas, Hatton went on the attack.
As well as an eagle on the fifth, the 32-year-old birdied six of his last seven holes during a rousing rampage that would certainly have been worth the entry fee. If there was one, of course. The Dunhill Links is free for the first three days.
Dunhill Links: Leaderboard
This was Hatton’s lowest-ever round on tour and beat the 62 he conjured en route to winning the first of those two Dunhill Links titles in 2016.
“I felt like I was trying harder than I normally would for that birdie putt on the last,” he said of a 10-footer for a three which saw him finish with a flourish.
“I think I struggled when I played in the St. Andrews Links Trophy as an amateur and I didn’t do too well on my first two appearances at the Dunhill either. But since winning in 2016, it’s been pretty good to me. It’s a special place to play golf.”
Colsaerts served up something special too down the road at Kingsbarns. The 41-year-old former Ryder Cup player, who is down in 695th place on the world rankings, put on a show with a seven-under 65 which included an albatross two on the par-five 16th, his seventh.
At one point, Colsaerts, who only received an invitation to the event six days ago, was five shots clear of the rest but a double-bogey on his ninth, combined with Hatton’s menacing advance back at St. Andrews, saw that advantage obliterated.
It was still another fine shift at the office, though, for a man who is chasing a first tour win since he landed the French Open in 2019.
“Super special,” he said of that two which was executed with a 6-iron. “Listen, I would have been quite happy with a tap-in three but that was the cherry on the cake.”
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, meanwhile, made playing Kingsbarns look like a piece of cake. Well, eventually.
The Dane began with a bogey on the first but then charged off like a horse that had bolted and fired 12 birdies in an 11-under 61 that propelled him into contention on 17-under.
“It was a funny way to start but then my putter got really hot,” said Neergaard-Petersen, who earned a swift promotion to the DP World Tour by winning three times on the Challenge Tour this season.
As for the home contingent? Well, it’s Robert MacIntyre who is flying the flag on the fringes of the top 20 after a 65 at the Old Course lifted him to 12-under.
David Law, who was just one shot off the lead at halfway, slithered back to 10-under with a 75 at Carnoustie.
A double-bogey on the 17th for MacIntyre was a bit of a scunner but a closing birdie made supper taste better.
The 28-year-old then spent ages signing autographs and taking selfies with his adoring public. In fact, the meet and greet was almost as long as a bloomin’ Dunhill round.
“I used to be one of them (autograph hunter) when I went to the Scottish Opens,” he said of his admirable attention to duty.
“At times, you don’t want to do any of it. But as long as the kids get looked after, then that’s the most important thing.
“You never know. There could be someone in the crowd who is hopefully going to take over from other Scottish guys on tour.”
There was another issue for MacIntyre to address; the cursings and cussings that can be par for the course in this infuriating pursuit.
There have been growing grumbles in some quarters about the Scot’s occasional, colorful outbursts, which are now amplified as his profile grows and he earns more exposure on TV.
On Friday, he was grouped with Hatton, a self-confessed compulsive swearer, in a pairing that produced the kind of bonfire of the profanities you’d get at a reunion of squaddies.
“Look, it’s live sport, it’s heat of the battle,” said MacIntyre of his various effings and jeffings. “I’m trying my best to improve it. The other side of it is that I’m Scottish. It’s part of our vocab.
“I’m trying my hardest to perform as best as I can. I double-bogeyed 18 on Friday, so I’m going to be angry. And what am I going to do when I’m angry? I’m probably going to swear to myself. It’s not to anybody else. It’s to myself.
“I double-bogeyed 17 today. I’m going to swear to myself and call myself things. I’m not meaning to offend anyone. But every now and again it’s going to come out.”
And on that note, it was time for MacIntyre to eff, sorry, head off.
