The Format

2023 – Fitzpatricks are the first family of St Andrews

An eventful Alfred Dunhill Links Championship ended with a supreme moment of golfing history as Matt Fitzpatrick and his mum Susan became the first family winners of both the Individual and Team Championship at St Andrews.

With the event reduced to 54 holes because of weather, Ryder Cup star and 2022 US Open champion Matt put together brilliant rounds of 67, 64 and 66 at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews for a 19-under-par winning total that drew warm applause from the Scottish galleries.

He had to wait more than 90 minutes to be sure he had won as fellow Englishman Marcus Armitage was on a charge at Carnoustie, but Armitage ran out holes and finished three shots behind, tied with defending champion Ryan Fox and Matthew Southgate.

Fitzpatrick said: “It's amazing. Winning is difficult. It was a kind of free-wheeling week, just playing with my mum and trying to enjoy it as best I can and see what happened. Then I played really well at Carnoustie and just got on a hot run these last two rounds. It doesn’t get better than winning at St Andrews, it's just a very special place. We've been coming here for a long, long time.”

It was Fitzpatrick’s ninth DP World Tour victory and his first Alfred Dunhill Links success in his seventh appearance. His previous best finish was tied 15th in 2017.

While everyone is now familiar with his brilliance and focused approach, today on the Old Course the applause rang out as much for his plucky mum as for him. She was partnering him for the second successive year, and battling a knee injury that she was determined would not stop her playing.

“I’ve got a brace on my left knee and I really do need to get it sorted out, but the discomfort was worth it, just so I could play alongside Matt again. It’s been such a great week. It's amazing they managed to get us out today but it's been great. Another great week.”

Matt added: “She got us off to a great back nine and she played great all day again. I just helped guide her around. One of my close friends, Josh, is on the bag, and he's done great helping her out. We had a great week and really dovetailed well. I think last year we struggled on that front. Every time I made a birdie, mum would make a birdie, but she's been brilliant this week.

“Even with all my wins, aside from a Major Championship, you forget about them, but you always remember the one that you won with your mum, so it doesn't get better than that. If I’ve won nine times, I would say both my parents have only missed two or three of those.

“That’s one of the things we talked about last year: playing the Dunhill together. And that’s what we did last year and last year was clearly a warm- up for this year. We did very well this year.”

2022 – Ryan Fox dedicates victory to the late Shane Warne

Ryan Fox dedicated an emotional Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory on the Old Course at St Andrews to his late friend Shane Warne, the cricket legend who died in March at the age of 52.

New Zealander Fox was also watched by his parents, the former All Blacks rugby fly half Grant Fox – a World Cup winner in 1987 – and his wife Adele, who have been on a month-long trip to Europe. Fox’s wife Anneke was there too, among the large crowds who saw the drama unfold under clear blue skies at a sunny Home of Golf.

Fox clinched his third DP World Tour win by finishing one shot ahead of Callum Shinkwin and Alex Noren with an impressive final round of 68, for an overall 15-under-par total of 273. He said: “To be honest the only person I can really think of at the moment is Warney. It definitely felt as if he was with me all the way around.

“It means a lot to win this event, we were great mates, and it’s just a shame he's not here. I really wanted to try to do something special for Warney and I'm pretty proud to have been able to accomplish that. And I'm going to enjoy celebrating this win with the family.”

Warne, the former Australia leg spinner, was Fox’s regular amateur partner in his five previous Alfred Dunhill Links appearances. As a result, the pair became close and, last year, came within a whisker of winning the Team Championship.

Those still fresh memories were with Fox throughout the tournament and it certainly did seem as if the 35-year-old Kiwi’s victory was meant to be, as overnight leader Richard Mansell, who began the day four strokes clear of his nearest three rivals, a group that included Fox, found a gorse bush on the 2nd hole and fell back into the chasing pack with a double-bogey.

And not even Rory McIlroy, who shot his second 66 of the weekend at the Old Course to finish on 13-under-par, could get past Fox and saw his own challenge drop away after a visit to the notorious Road Hole bunker, a splash out sideways and a bogey five.

In the end, with England’s Mansell fading to a 76 and a share of seventh, only Noren had a chance of catching Fox. The Swedish Ryder Cup player hit a magnificent approach to the 17th, but missed a five-foot birdie putt, while Fox scrambled a bogey five there by two-putting from distance after a mis-hit third shot only just made it on to the front of the green.

That meant Fox required only a par four at the last to stay ahead of Englishman Shinkwin, whose 67 had seen him finish a shot ahead of world No 2 McIlroy at 14-under-par. Noren’s drive looked like going out of bounds until a freakish bounce propelled it back into play and across to the back of the green.

But Noren’s long eagle putt came up just short and that left Fox needing only to take two putts from around 15-feet to complete his victory, collect the US$816,000 first prize, and immediately pay tribute to Warne.

“I bowled leg-spin growing up and idolised Warney,” said Fox. “So to be able to call him a mate was very special. We played some golf together whenever we were both in the UK and although swing-wise he struggled a little bit at times, if you wanted someone to hole a putt for your life then Warney was one of the guys you wouldn't mind doing it for you.”

It was a second win of the season for Fox, adding to a victory at the Ras al Khaimah Classic, and he always looked in control during a round which featured seven birdies, four of them on the front nine. He is now predicted to leap up to 25th in the world rankings list, the highest position of his career.

2021 – Birthday cheers on the Old Course for Willett

The champagne corks popped as Danny Willett celebrated his 34th birthday with one of the biggest wins of his career, the 20th Anniversary Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

The former Masters and Alfred Dunhill Team champion, most recently winner of the 2019 BMW PGA, shot a 68 on the Old Course for an 18-under-par total to win by two from Joakim Lagergren, who had a 66 and Tyrrell Hatton, 67.

He narrowly missed making it a spectacular double celebration with victory in the Team Championship with American amateur partner Jimmy Dunne, when his final putt slipped by the hole. The Irish team of Michael Hoey and Maeve Danaher held on to win.

Danny said: “It's been a good week. I had a great partner in Jimmy. Things have been good. I've always said if I get a bit of a sniff, I'm usually all right. And today was a nice example of that. Scoring was pretty low on that front nine, and we were able to fend off a few guys and play really solidly on the back nine.

“Jimmy is a great guy. He's a great golfer. And we just had a great week, seeing all the guys. I haven't done this format for two years now. So, it's nice that the Championship is back on, and it's lovely. It’s a big one.

Willett’s was a mature performance. Starting the day three ahead, he did not panic early on when the birdies did not come and challengers lined up to try to catch him, most noticeably Richard Bland who was level with him when he birdied the 9th hole.

But Willett struck crucial birdies of his own at the 9th and 10th to maintain his control of the Championship and by the time he reached the decisive last few holes, only Sweden’s Lagergren was in a position to catch him.

2019 – Magnifique! Victor Perez first French winner

Victor Perez became the first French winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship after one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the event, winning by one shot from England's Matthew Southgate at St Andrews.

Although from Haute-Pyrenees in southern France, Perez has been living in Dundee, just 20 minutes away, for the last 18 months with his girlfriend Abigail who is a dental student there. She ran on to the 18th green to congratulate him.

Perez said: "It was a great win for me, and it's showed me that I can do it. Now the question is: how much can I replicate that moving forward. Obviously when you win, you want to ride the wave a little bit.

"Obviously living in Dundee makes it more special. I think there were a number of reasons why I came here. I think that the culture of golf in Scotland should make almost every golfer want to come here, if you're in Continental Europe. The people here love golf, it's all about golf, it's just the passion for the game."

For 18 holes Southgate and Perez had slugged their way around the Old Course, but in the end, as so often in big championships at St Andrews, it came down to the 17th, the Road Hole, where Southgate had a bogey five to Perez's four which opened up a decisive one-shot gap. Perez finished with 70 to Southgate's 71 for a 22-under-par total for his first European Tour win.

For Southgate even to get into the position he did marks a personal milestone, having fought back from cancer in 2015. He said: "It's been a horrible season for me and this has sorted that right out and got me back to The Race to Dubai and that's the goal for me. I think I've proven to the world this week that when I do switch it on, I can mix it with the best and I've beaten a hell of a lot of good players this week."

2018 - Great Dane Lucas Bjerregaard wins the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

The St Andrews galleries came expecting to see Tyrrell Hatton make history by winning his third consecutive Alfred Dunhill Links title, but Lucas Bjerregaard blew him off course.

After a shotgun start at 8.30am due to high winds, it was the 27-year-old Dane who came from four shots behind to win by one from Hatton and Tommy Fleetwood – and send the Old Course golf fans home saluting a great performance.

Bjerregaard was ten-under par at the start of the round but posted an excellent 67 in difficult conditions to claim his second European Tour victory.

The Dane's superb round eclipsed the challenge of Hatton, who held a five-shot lead at one point before dropping four shots on the back nine and finishing with a level-par round of 72.

Hatton's fellow Ryder Cup hero Fleetwood's final-round of 69 was enough to tie second with Hatton on 14-under-par.

Bjerregaard becomes only the second Dane to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship following Thorbjorn Olesen's victory in 2015. The pair also share the same coach, Scotsman Hugh Marr, while Bjerregaard's caddy is Jonathan Smart, who used to carry Danny Willett's bag and won the Team Championship with Willett in 2016. The Dane's first European Tour win was the the Portugal Masters in 2017.

Australia's Marcus Fraser started the day one behind Hatton but finished with a 77 to slip down the leaderboard. Scotland's Stephen Gallacher was also in contention but his round of 75 left him eight-under par, seven adrift of Bjerregaard.

2017 - Hatton makes it a historic double

Tyrrell Hatton made history with his second straight Alfred Dunhill Links Championship victory, something never achieved before, but had to share some of the glory with Ross Fisher, who broke the Old Course record with a breath-taking 11-under-par 61.

Hatton had gone into the final round with a five-shot lead and played a faultless six-under-par 66 to win by three strokes from Fisher. His winning score of 24-under-par was the lowest ever in the Alfred Dunhill Links. So solid has his game been that he did not have a bogey over the last three rounds.

He said: "This was the first time I had ever defended a title or had the challenge of trying to do it. It felt like it was a lot harder today than it was last year. I'm so happy that I managed to get over the line."

His amateur partner in the Team Championship, actor Jamie Dornan, said: "It was amazing to be in the last group again. Tyrrell has played phenomenal golf this week to get so far in front, and he's just fearless on the course."

Ross Fisher, who couldn't quite catch Hatton, said: "Unfortunately Tyrrell was too far ahead, but I managed to give him a little bit to think about coming down the stretch. But hats off to him. To win your first tournament here at the Home of Golf is fantastic."

Kieran McManus won the Team Championship with former Ryder Cup star Jamie Donaldson. The Irish stud farmer now has three Team Championship wins to his name, one more than father JP McManus, who won the team competition with Padraig Harrington in both 2002 and 2006.

2016 – Tyrrell Hatton hits the big time after sparkling victory on the Old Course

England's Tyrrell Hatton showed the world he is going to be the next big name in British golf with an emphatic win in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

Playing with a maturity and panache that belied his 24 years, Hatton added a 66 on the Old Course to his record-equalling third round 62 for a four-shot victory over England's Ross Fisher and South Africa's Richard Sterne.

Hatton said: "It feels amazing. I've wanted this moment since I was a six-year-old. It's a dream come true and to do it here at the Home of Golf is fantastic. I'm just happy I got over the line. It's been a fantastic week. I had my girlfriend Emily with me and my management team. And to come away with a trophy, just makes it even more special."

It was Hatton's first win on the European Tour and his score of 23-under-par tied the lowest total in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, achieved by David Howell and Peter Uihlein in 2013. He wins US$800,000 and moves up to fourth in the Race to Dubai. It continues an excellent year for him in which he has had a fifth place in the Open Championship and a tenth place finish in the USPGA.

The Team Championship was won by Masters champion Danny Willett, who played with his regular caddie Jonathan Smart to win the first prize of $50,000. Willett raised his arms in triumph when Smart's winning putt dropped and then hugged him, saying later: "Jon rose to the occasion and carried me all week. I invited him to have a taste of what it's like on my side of things and he's won his first event. He played some great golf."

2015 – Great Dane Thorbjorn Olesen wins the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

A wonder putt the length of the 15th green was the defining moment as Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen celebrated the biggest day of his golfing life with victory in the 15th Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. Olesen, who finished runner-up four years ago, shot a final round 71 for a two-shot win over Americans Brooks Koepka and Chris Stroud to finally take the prestigious title, but it was a close run thing.

Ahead by three at the start of the day, it looked as if Olesen was throwing his chances away with a double bogey six at the 2nd, where he was caught under the lip of a bunker and had to come out backwards, and a bogey at the 3rd. He must have been thinking back to 2012 when he was level with Branden Grace with seven holes to go, but lost by two shots.

Immediate birdies at the 4th and 5th got him up and running, but it was not until the spectacular birdie at the 15th that he could at last relax and savour the moment.

Olesen, 25, said: "Standing here with this trophy is unbelievable. Definitely more personal and very emotional. It's been a very tough season for me and I would like to give special thanks to everyone who has been there for me."

The Team Championship was won by former Bayern Munich and Chelsea footballer Michael Ballack and German professional Florian Fritsch.

2014 - Cinderella story as Wilson wins at 230th attempt to reclaim Tour card

As England's Oliver Wilson sank his final putt at St Andrews to win the 2014 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, his wife Lauren, who had flown up from London without telling her husband, raced on to give him a celebratory hug.

It was a huge moment for this great event's most unlikely champion - an invitee who lost his European Tour card in 2011 and had never won in 229 previous attempts.

Wilson, the world No. 792, had led overnight, but was being pursued by the biggest name in golf - Rory McIlroy. The swollen crowds had come to St Andrews to see the Open champion make his charge, but that ended at the 17th hole, as McIlroy putted into the road hole bunker and dropped a shot. He would finish second, along with Scotland's Richie Ramsay, who bogeyed the 16th and 17th holes, and Tommy Fleetwood, who missed an eight-footer at the final hole which would have forced a play-off.

As these challenges faded, Wilson - who had finished second nine times on the Tour - held his nerve to finish with a 17-under-par total of 271. His reward was a two-year European Tour exemption, the biggest payday of his career, and a surprise visit from his wife.

He said: "So many people had written me off and that hurt, but I kept believing. A lot of people had a part in this and I can't thank them enough. This is pretty special. It's been a long time coming and I have a lot of champagne on hold. It's going to be a good party. To have the invite to play here, I can't thank people enough."

The Team Championship was won by Peter Lawrie and Kieran McManus, the son of the race horse owner JP McManus.

2013 – Old Course drama as David Howell clinches sudden death victory in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

England's David Howell dramatically rolled in an eight foot birdie putt on the second hole of sudden death on the Old Course in St Andrews to beat talented young American Peter Uihlein and win the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

It was Howell's first European Tour victory for seven years and 124 days – the last being the 2006 BMW PGA Championship – and a delighted Howell said: "It's been a long time coming. I'm hoping this is going to be huge for me in many ways, because I have had many chances to win and I haven't been able to do it.

"All week I was nervous, I can't explain why. We all know it's a big week and we've all got lots to play for, but today I found a little more inner strength. I still struggled a little bit to get the pace on the greens under the intense pressure and all in all, I was really pleased with how I stayed in control and kept controlling my swing and holed the ones that I had to right at the end. It's been an interesting seven years. I lost my way in life and on the course, as well, but now things are really good at the moment and I'm in a really happy place."

2012 – South Africa's Amazing Grace leads from start to finish to win

South Africa's Branden Grace, one of the brightest young talents in golf, led from start to finish to celebrate his most impressive victory of the year, winning the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by two shots from Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen.

From the moment he signed his card after a spectacular first round 60 at Kingsbarns on Thursday, Grace, one of the best front-runners in golf, was a hot favourite to win. And, although he had one or two wobbly moments in his final round on the Old Course, he thoroughly deserved his victory.

Grace, who shot a final round 70 for a 22-under-par total of 266, now joins some of the greatest names in golf – Seve Ballesteros, Ernie Els, Sir Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood and Tiger Woods among them – who have won four European Tour events in the same season. At 24 years and 140 days, he becomes the youngest winner in Alfred Dunhill Links Championship history and his win took him to third in the Race to Dubai, the European Tour's order of merit.

In a dramatic finish, the winners of the Team Championship were professional Alexander Noren and Ernesto Bertarelli, the man behind the America's Cup winning team Alinghi, who tied with Thongchai Jaidee and American businessman Hugh Connerty Jr on 36-under, but won on countback because Noren had the lower pro's score – 18-under beating Jaidee's 12-under.

2011 – Michael Hoey holds off McDowell and McIlroy charge to win

Northern Ireland celebrated its newest golfing hero as Michael Hoey showed qualities of steel and resilience to win the 2011 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course in St Andrews.

With three recent Major Championship winners in Darren Clarke. Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlory, golf in Northern Ireland is on the crest of a wave and Hoey more than looked capable of joining that exclusive club as he shot 68 for a 22-under-par total and two shot victory.

Even more impressively, Hoey had to take on and beat McDowell and McIlory in the final round to establish his supremacy. US Open champion McIlroy eventually finished runner-up after his faultless seven-under-par 65, which included five birdies and an eagle, while 2010 US Open champion McDowell's 69 gave him a share of third place, one shot further back, with Scotland's leading player George Murray, who had a creditable five-under-par 67.

2010 – Road Hole birdie sets up a famous win for Martin Kaymer

Germany's Martin Kaymer fulfilled his dream of winning a golf tournament at St Andrews after a flamboyant 66 on the Old Course earned him victory in the 10th Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Despite breezy and difficult conditions, scoring was phenomenal with shouts ringing out all over the course as birdies rattled in, but the biggest cheer came when Kaymer putted from off the green at the formidable 17th Road Hole for a birdie three to effectively clinch the title. For good measure he birdied the 18th as well despite hitting his drive on to the road.

Throughout the final day he had once again shown the steely resolve which helped him become a Major championship winner at just 25 at the US PGA in August, as he held off a series of formidable challenges to secure his third consecutive strokeplay win, something not achieved by any player since Tiger Woods in 2006.

2009 – Simon Dyson takes route 66 to a memorable victory

They all came to St Andrews to cheer on brilliant young Irishman Rory McIlroy, but instead the Old Course galleries were left applauding a remarkable nine holes of golf by England's Simon Dyson, which set up an impressive three-shot victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Dyson, for whom this was the second European Tour win of the year, produced an electrifying start with six birdies in his first seven holes for a front nine of 30, which appeared to leave the rest of the field in shock. He played the back nine more conservatively in par, but his 66 for a 20-under-par total of 268, left him comfortably ahead of McIlroy and England's Oliver Wilson.

He said: "66 on the Old Course feels great. I just knew the tournament was there to be won. Obviously with the start I got off to, I knew it was mine for the taking and it was really only me that could lose it. There were some really good names up there – Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Rory and Luke, but I went into it thinking I've been playing some good golf the last five or six weeks and just happy with the way I've been playing."

2008 – Sweden's Robert Karlsson wins three-way sudden death play-off

Sweden's Robert Karlsson birdied the first extra hole of a sudden death play-off against England's Ross Fisher and Germany's Martin Kaymer to win a thrilling Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Karlsson celebrated his second victory in three tournaments after hitting his wedge to three feet on the 1st hole of the Old Course and rolling in the putt, while Kaymer missed his eight foot birdie chance and Fisher hit an enormous drive straight into the Swilken Burn.

Karlsson said: "I was very emotional sitting on the steps there for the prize-giving. It's the sort of course you learn to fall in love with."

2007 – England's Nick Dougherty hails 'life-changing' win

England's Nick Dougherty finally secured the win he wanted so badly with a two shot victory in the 2007 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews. Dougherty fought off a series of challenges throughout the day from some of the best players in the world as he held on for a battling 71 and an 18-under-par total of 270. England's Justin Rose was second after a three-under-par 69 and the exciting Northern Ireland prospect Rory McIlroy one shot further back in third place after a thrilling 68.

An emotional Dougherty, whose only other victory was in the Singapore Masters in 2005, said: "This is a life-changing win. It's changed the perspective of the year. It's changed where I am in the world and where I am with my own personal goals in my career."

2006 – Padraig Harrington makes it a double double

Padraig Harrington played a faultless round of golf on the Old Course to win his second Championship. He crafted a superb 68, which featured four birdies and no dropped shots, to secure his first victory of the year.

Harrington, who also won in 2002, finished on a 16 under-par total of 271, five shots ahead of Wales's Bradley Dredge, England's Anthony Wall and Edward Loar from the United States. South Africa's World No 6 Ernie Els was a further shot behind after driving the 18th green and sinking a 10 feet putt for an eagle two. Harrington made it a double double victory when he also won the team competition again with his amateur partner, Irish businessman and horserace owner JP McManus.

2005 – Amazing fightback seals emotional win for Colin Montgomerie

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie gave the ecstatic Old Course galleries a day to remember after he overturned a five shot deficit for the first time in his long and distinguished career on the European Tour to win by one shot.

In a tense and nerve-racking final day, Montgomerie and England's Kenneth Ferrie slugged it out over 18 holes for one of the most prestigious championships in golf, the title only being decided when Montgomerie sank a four foot putt for a dramatic birdie three on the famous 18th hole in front of the windows of the Royal & Ancient clubhouse.

Montgomerie, who shot a 71 for a nine under-par total of 279, said: "I always said to myself the next win would be the most influential and the most important in my career and this is it. I was looking forward so much to coming back here so soon after The Open and it's so good to come out on top. This is a very special place and walking up the last hole is a very special experience."

2004 – Stephen Gallacher wins sudden death thriller

Stephen Gallacher gave the ecstatic St Andrews gallery a home win to cheer after he sank a short birdie putt for a sudden death victory over Graeme McDowell on the first extra hole.

It was the first European Tour win in 188 starts for the nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher.

The Scottish golf fans had turned up in their thousands to applaud Ryder Cup hero Colin Montgomerie on his return to home soil after the Oakland Hills triumph, but they went away toasting a new Scottish hero. A member of the St Andrews Club, his fellow members were leaning out of the windows of the adjacent clubhouse to encourage him as he walked up the 18th hole.

Gallacher said: "This is definitely one of the ones you want to win on the European Tour. I am really going to enjoy today's win."

2003 – Albatross and course record wins it for Lee Westwood

England's Lee Westwood held on for an exciting one shot victory, keeping his nerve over the closing holes of the Old Course for a five under par 67 to beat World No 2 Ernie Els, who had birdied the last two holes in a dramatic attempt to catch him.

For Westwood, it was an emotional moment. After a difficult few years with his game, his victory in such a significant tournament marked his return to the summit of golf.

The final day had the drama, but the story of the 2003 Championship was a miracle shot by Westwood during his third round course record 62 at Kingsbarns. He hit his four iron second shot 218yds into the hole on the 558 yds par five 9th – his first ever albatross – to open up a one shot lead.

Westwood's win was immensely popular with the St Andrews galleries as was the victory in the team competition of father and son pairing Sam and Daniel Torrance, who shot a final round betterball 62 for a 37 under par.

2002 – Padraig Harrington makes it a double celebration

Irishman Padraig Harrington underlined his claims to be crowned Europe's top golfer when he swept the board winning both the individual and team events.

One of the stars of the Ryder Cup triumph against the United States seven days earlier, Harrington kept European golf bubbling by beating Argentina's Eduardo Romero in thrilling style at the second extra hole in a sudden death play-off.

Harrington and Romero had finished tied on 269, 19 under par, after sinking a dramatic 18 foot birdie putt on the sun drenched 18th hole on the Old Course for a closing round of 69.

Victory was doubly sweet for Harrington as he and fellow Irishman, race horse owner JP McManus, claimed the team event with a 37 under par score.

2001 - Scotsman Paul Lawrie wins inaugural Alfred Dunhill Links

Scotland's Paul Lawrie conjured up another miraculous putt from the 'Valley of Sin' on the Old Course at St.Andrews to capture the inaugural Alfred Dunhill Links Championship by a stroke from Ernie Els. Lawrie's 40 foot birdie putt dropped in for a round of 68 and 18 under-par total of 270 while Els took second place with England's David Howell third.

The climax was reminiscent of the 1995 Open Championship when Costantino Rocca holed a vital putt from the Valley of Sin to force a play-off with John Daly.

Els, also round in 68 thanks to a 12 foot birdie putt at the last, had exerted pressure on 1999 Open Champion Lawrie by reaching 17 under par for the 72 holes.

Lawrie said: "It doesn't get much better than to win at the Home of Golf."