Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry will return to The Old Course at St. Andrews in October for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
One of the most prestigious events on the DP World Tour, the Alfred Dunhill Links draws inspiration from the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Along with St. Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links and Kingsbarns Golf Links host this event each year, centered on welcoming some of the world’s best players to ‘The Home of Golf.’ The entire field plays 18 holes at each course before a 54-hole cut takes place after the third round. The top 60 professionals, along with the 20 best pro-am teams, qualify for the final round, always held on the Old Course.
Like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, numerous celebrities and high-profile individuals play alongside the pros in the Dunhill Links annually. Justin Timberlake, Michael Phelps, and Samuel L. Jackson have all competed, but so has Yasir al-Rumayyan, the Governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) who played in the Dunhill Links last year.
McIlroy, meanwhile, missed the 2023 edition, which Matt Fitzpatrick won. Torrential rain also shortened last year’s tournament to 54 holes.
McIlroy last played in this event in 2022, when he tied for fourth, finishing two strokes behind winner Ryan Fox. McIlroy has never won the Dunhill Links, but he does have a strong record at this event. He has six top-10 finishes in nine appearances. McIlroy also has a pair of runner-ups, most recently in 2014—the same year as his last major championship triumph.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
