Hatton retains Dunhill Links title as Fisher breaks Old Course record

Defending champion retains title, while Old Course record broken

Tyrrell Hatton made history and fellow Englishman Ross Fisher set an equally significant milestone at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship yesterday.

Hatton became the first man to retain the Dunhill title – and only the second to win it twice – as he coasted to a 66 for a three-shot win on a 24-under aggregate of 264 – beating his own record from last year by a shot.

But, in perfect conditions for scoring, what had seemed almost inevitable in this event for years finally happened. In an ultimately fruitless but brave assault on Hatton’s five-stroke lead at the start of play, Fisher broke the log-jam of 62s that marked the record for the most famous golf course in the world.

In the end, that was almost an anticlimax. The 36-year-old former Ryder Cup player missed a 3ft putt for a 60 – he had an eagle putt for the European Tour’s first 59 from the Valley of Sin and came up short – having made a gutsy par save from the path behind the 17th.

But his 61 was still good enough to rip a crowded page from the record book featuring all those down the years who had 62s on the Old Course of varying lengths, starting with Curtis Strange in the 1987 Dunhill Cup, followed by others that included Rory Mcilroy, Graeme Mcdowell and Louis Oosthuizen, as well as Hatton in his win last year.

Yet although Fisher made history he was only second, for the second year in a row, and it was Hatton who won the £595,000 first prize, taking his winnings in this event in two years to a cool £1.2 million.

“This week was the first time I’ve ever defended a title or had the challenge to do it,” he said.

“It felt a lot harder to win this year than it was last year. I’m so happy to get over the line.”

Hatton didn’t feel Fisher’s galloping footsteps behind him until he was almost home, and it stiffened his resolve.

“I didn’t see a leaderboard until the 16th green and saw he was at -21, and I had a 15-minute wait on 17 which made the tee shot a little harder than I wanted it to be,” he said.

“Fair play to Fish, it was an incredible round of golf and he certainly did push me all the way.”

In truth, when he chipped in from the bank of the Swilcan Burn after drowning his second shot there to escape with a par, there was only going to be one winner no matter what Fisher or anyone else did.

Buoyed by that, Hatton went out in 31 in the almost windless conditions, and cruised down the back nine.

Fisher knew there was a score out there, although 61 or better wasn’t much in his thoughts until the closing stretch.

“When you get St Andrews on a day like this it’s definitely scoreable, but you still have to hit the shots,” he said.

“I got off to a fast start, birdied the second, third and fourth and hit a lovely three-wood into five, and left it literally hanging on the lip to be five-under through five.

“I caught fire a bit on the back nine as well. A shame not to birdie the last for a 60, but I’m not going to complain too much with a 61.”

He didn’t really entertain any thoughts of catching Hatton, who was eight ahead of him in the morning.

“Unfortunately Tyrrell was too far ahead, but maybe 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, but to back it up and successfully defend around these three courses is unique and very, very special.”

France’s Victor Dubuisson, who had hopes of a record himself at one point, finished in third after a 63, with Robert Rock and Scot Marc Warren in fourth.

Rory Mcilroy finished well back with a

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It was an incredible round of golf andhe certainly did pushmeall the way. TYRRELL HATTON

par 72, a round he thought summed up his season – at its end, as he now goes for a three-month sabbatical.

“My last round of 2017 summed up my season in 2017, stuck in neutral,” he said.

He believes the prep work to be done in the next few weeks will set him up for a return to glories next year.

“I’m a much better player now than I was in 2010 and 2012 when I was able to win a couple of majors,” he said.

“I see no reason why I can’t better that in the next 10 years, and that’s why I feel like these three months are very important for me.

“I’m not going to leave any stone unturned, and do everything I can to get back to the best player in the world.”

stscott@thecourier.co.uk