Bob MacIntyre heads the Scottish challenge hoping to make more golfing history at St Andrews

The passionate local galleries will be in full voice in October as Bob MacIntyre leads the home challenge at St Andrews, hoping to become the first Scot since Colin Montgomerie in 2005 to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

World No 9 MacIntyre has confirmed he will be back at the Old Course to play in the prestigious event, and he is certain to be one of the favourites after his spectacular breakthrough to the highest levels of golf in the last two years.

After winning the Genesis Scottish Open and RBC Canadian Open in 2024, he finished second to J.J. Spaun in the US Open in June and also to Scottie Scheffler at the FedEx BMW Championship ten days ago.

MacIntyre said: “It’s hard to believe there hasn’t been a Scottish winner of the Dunhill for 20 years. It would be nice if one of us could change that. There are a lot of good Scots in the field this year, and I’m sure we’ll all get plenty of support from the galleries. Winning at the Home of Golf is something every golfer hopes for and it’s something I would love. A big win in front of the Scottish fans would be very special.”

In addition to following on from Montgomerie’s success, if he wins, MacIntyre would become only the second ever golfer to compete the Alfred Dunhill Links / Scottish Open double, along with Martin Kaymer.

MacIntyre will be heading a powerful trio of current Scottish champions. Calum Hill won the Joburg Open in March with an eight-under-par final round 62, Connor Syme defied the windy conditions at the KLM Open for his first DP World Tour victory in June and Grant Forrest secured a home victory at the Nexo Championship at Trump International near Aberdeen earlier this month.

Among other crowd-pleasing golfers who have announced they are playing are Major Champions Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen plus popular US star Tony Finau. Johnson, winner of the 2016 US Open and the 2020 Masters, played in the 2011 and 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links, so is familiar with the Championship, while 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen won his Claret Jug on the Old Course so knows his way around St Andrews as well as anyone.

Also playing is China’s Li Haotong, who excited the galleries at Royal Portrush in this year’s Open Championship with his daring play, and Venezuelan professional Jhonattan Vegas.

They will be joining one of the strongest international fields in the history of the event, including Major Champions Matt Fitzpatrick, Padraig Harrington, Martin Kaymer, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Cameron Smith and Bubba Watson.

Three-time Alfred Dunhill Links champion Tyrrell Hatton will be back to defend his title along with the ever-popular Tommy Fleetwood, two-time runner-up for the individual professional title and winner of the 2019 Team Championship with Ogden Phipps. Fleetwood is fresh from his brilliant victory last weekend in the US PGA Tour Championship at East Lake.