Tyrrell Hatton not only denied Nicolas Colsaerts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title in dramatic fashion on Sunday, but perhaps he also denied the Belgian the shot of the tournament – despite Colsaerts making an albatross on Saturday.
Tyrrell Hatton has become the first player to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on three occasions, clinching a one-shot victory over Nicolas Colsaerts after making a birdie on the 72nd hole.
It did appear that the 32-year-old had a real chance of running away with the tournament. Hatton matched the course record on Saturday as he shot 61 around the Old Course at St Andrews. And at one stage, the LIV Golf star had a three-shot lead and appeared to have one hand on the trophy.
However, Hatton made a double bogey on 13 and bogey on 14 to move back towards the field. Colsaerts meanwhile, played so consistently after the turn, with seven pars on his back nine. In fact, as the pair left the 17th tee, it appeared that the momentum was largely with the 41-year-old.
Rich Beem says Tyrrell Hatton hit the shot of the tournament at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Hatton hit a fantastic tee shot on the penultimate hole, but still found himself with 222 yards to the back pin. Of course, the Road Hole has ruined many a round down the years, so it was certainly a gamble when Hatton decided to take on the bunker and go with a fairway wood.
He could have hardly asked for a better result, finding the back left corner and leaving himself with one of the easier two putts on that green.
The two pars meant that Hatton and Colsaerts were tied for the lead going down the last. And when Hatton got the job done shortly after, Rich Beem told Sky Sports (broadcast on 6/10; 17:26) that Hatton’s approach on 17 was a pivotal moment.
“That was so good, it’s hard to describe. That to me was shot of the tournament. No offence to Nicolas Colsaerts, albatross on 16, but for him to pull off that shot on 17 when everything was coming down to the crunch was incredible,” he said.
The defining hole once again
It was a very different shot, but Hatton’s approach may have evoked memories of what fellow LIV Golf star Cameron Smith did on the same hole on his way to winning The Open Championship back in 2022.
Smith’s putting had been phenomenal all day – in stark contrast to Rory McIlroy, who could not buy a birdie at the crucial time – and the Australian hit the most sumptuous putt around the bunker which left him with a genuine chance at par. Unsurprisingly, he managed to confidently roll it in on his way to his first major title.
Hatton was not exactly any better off after making par on 17, but he really needed a moment where he stepped up and produced a shot of the highest quality after a frustrating run of holes.
Obviously, had Colsaerts won the tournament, his shot into 16 on Kingsbarns on Saturday would have been the defining moment. But Hatton was just about able to see off his spirited challenge.
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