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Mansell takes up the challenge on the Old Course to lead Alfred Dunhill Links

September 30, 2022

England’s Richard Mansell produced a fighting 68 in challenging conditions at St Andrews today to take the lead on 10-under-par at the halfway mark in the 21st Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

He goes in to tomorrow’s third round leading by two shots from Sweden’s Alex Noren and is a further shot ahead of Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard Moller and Frenchman Antoine Rozner.

While the local galleries applauded the men at the top of the leaderboard, they can be forgiven for looking a little further back to Bob MacIntyre, the great Scottish hope, who toughed it out in rain and wind for a two-under-par 70 at Kingsbarns to be just four behind.

MacIntyre, winner of this month’s Italian Open, now has real hopes of becoming the first Scot to win the Alfred Dunhill Links since Colin Montgomerie in 2005.

Mansell, 27, has had an excellent 2022 season, qualifying for both the 150th Open championship at St Andrews and the US Open, and recording five top-ten finishes on the DP World Tour.

He moves on to Carnoustie tomorrow, the toughest course of the three, and said: “Just to be in that position is a really good thing. Still 36 holes to play, now Carnoustie. I’m really happy. Not much more to say.”

Having already played Carnoustie, MacIntyre now takes on the more welcoming St Andrews. He said: “I’m playing well. My game is in great shape and I’m just going to enjoy myself, keep smiling and hopefully keep doing the same.

“The best attitude got you through today, and I was playing with somebody I get on really well with in Tyrrell Hatton, and we just had a laugh!”

The Team Championship remains delicately poised heading into the weekend, with a two-way tie at the top of the leaderboard.

The all-American team of pro Johannes Veerman and his amateur partner, entrepreneur Will Ahmed, share an overall score of 19-under-par with South African player Christiaan Burke and Canadian businessman Bruce Mitchell. Swedish pro Kristoffer Broberg and his amateur partner from South Africa, Brand de Villiers, are one shot further back on 18-under-par.