The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is a pro-am event taking place at three historic venues: The Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links. From Rory McIlroy to Bill Murray, the field is filled with stars from both on and off the course.
Battling on the most famous links in the world, will it be the in-form Rory McIlroy, the reigning US Open Champion Matt Fitzpatrick or will an up and coming star rise from the beaches of St. Andrews and claim the Dunhill Links title? Online bookmaker bet365 has the odds.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: September 28th, 1:00 P.M. (EST)
It comes as no surprise to see Rory McIlroy at 5.50 to win. Rory is playing some of the best golf we have seen from him since 2014. It seems as though every time the man from Northern Ireland tees it up, he has his eyes set on victory. Rory’s form is so strong that renown golf statistic platform, datagolf, has Rory at a 19.9% chance of winning the event with the next highest being Shane Lowry at 6.9%.
This comes as no surprise as Rory’s last four starts consist of a T8 finish, a win, a T2 finish and a solo fourth finish. He is one of the most prolific drivers of the golf ball the game has ever seen, and he has cleaned up his approach game in 2022.
Rory’s last trip to St. Andrews sent him home in anguish as he finished third having led going into Sunday. Though Rory didn’t get the job done at the Open, he will surely be hungry to take home a championship at the home of golf this season.
Shane Lowry is an Alfred Dunhill Links regular, finishing fourth last year. The Irishman is a wizard around the greens and a ball striking machine. Being from Ireland, Lowry is no stranger to coastal British Isle weather.
Though Scottish weather forecasts are about as reliable as a gas station hot dog, it is calling for some wind and rain this weekend. Where Rory hits a high ball and doesn’t necessarily thrive in adverse conditions, Lowry is perhaps the man to beat if the wind does get up and the players are forced to play along the links rather than over them.
A Rory-Lowry battle coming down the stretch on Sunday could be foiled by one player in the field, Matt Fitzpatrick. Coming off a playoff loss in Italy and a monster season, Fitzpatrick is dangerous on the links. The US Open Champion is an Englishman who can control trajectory with the best of them and score by any means possible.
The three favourites this week are favourites for a good reason as they are all in fantastic form and can surely take the title this weekend. If we see a Sunday battle coming down to the 18th at St. Andrews, this tournament will be a can’t miss watch.
It seems likely that the winner will come out of this top three. They are all amazing players who could beat each other any given weekend but given the weather forecast, Shane Lowry, at 12.00 to win, appears to be the best value pick.
A ‘longshot’ pick to lookout for is Ryan Fox to win at 61.00. Fox is an errant driver of the golf ball, but with St. Andrews wide fairways he may be able to get away with it. Ryan Fox has the ability to get hot and have a great week. One must not forget that he finished second at the Irish Open and third at the BMW International Open. Look for Fox to make a charge at the big dogs on golf’s most historic stage.
With the caliber of the links, the courses alone are enough to provide sufficient entertainment. Throw in active major champions, legends of the game, and a few celebrities, and you have an event that is sure to provide Grade A entertainment.
