Bjerregaard overhauls defending champion Hatton to claim Dunhill Links title

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard denied Ryder Cup winner Tyrrell Hatton a third straight Alfred Dunhill Links Championship title after a storming final round at St Andrews.

Hatton had taken a four-stroke advantage into a final round which was brought forward due to the threat of high winds in the area, but it was Bjerregaard who dealt best with the conditions.

The Dane’s five-under-par 67 earned him a 15-under total of 273, enough to win by one stroke from Hatton and his fast-finishing Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood, whose 69 earned him a share of second place.

World number 92 Bjerregaard had claimed his only previous tour win at the Portugal Open in 2017 and he needed to produce something special on Sunday to add to that here after beginning the day playing catch-up to defending champion Hatton.

But starting on the 18th hole under the ‘shotgun’ system in which all contenders began the final round at the same time, Bjerregaard immediately reduced the deficit with a birdie.

Nevertheless Hatton also began strongly and at one point held a five-stroke advantage before falling away with four bogeys on the back nine.

Bjerregaard still faced an anxious wait after a bogey on his final hole, the 17th, but Hatton missed a birdie putt on his last which would have forced a play-off.

ga('create', 'UA-72310761-1', 'auto', {'name': 'pacontentapi'});
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'referrer', location.origin);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension1', 'By Press Association Sport staff');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension2', '06e4b4d6-068c-46f6-8806-2840ede36e45');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension3', 'paservice:sport,paservice:sport:uk,paservice:sport:world');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension6', 'story');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension7', 'composite');
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension8', null);
ga('pacontentapi.set', 'dimension9', 'sport:golf,sport:other');
ga('pacontentapi.send', 'pageview', { 'location': location.href, 'page': (location.pathname + location.search + location.hash), 'title': 'Bjerregaard overhauls defending champion Hatton to claim Dunhill Links title'});