ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

Past results: 2006

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2007

Gallery 2006

Double Dunhill champion Harrington triumphs again
Padraig Harrington became a two-time winner on the Old Course after his five shot triumph in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Bradley Dredge, who shot a course record 64 in round one, was joint second along with Edward Loar and Anthony Wall.

A play-off victory over Eduardo Romero in 2002 ended at the second hole so this was the first opportunity for Harrington to experience the ultimate thrill for any golfer: playing the 18th knowing that a title is secure.

‘This was very, very special,’ he said. ‘I have a big picture of the 18th hole at St Andrews on one wall at home, and so I look at it every day I’m there. To see that scene before me on the 18th tee this afternoon, and to walk up the fairway knowing that I was going to win the tournament was something to savour. There is no more special place than this.’

Having just experienced the rigours of another successful Ryder Cup, Harrington arrived at St Andrews full of enthusiasm: 'It is a joy to play St Andrews at this time of year. You do have the opportunity to make birdies, but you have some very difficult holes on top. It is a course that throws everything at you.’

Harrington took time to praise the greenkeeping staff at the Links, saying ‘they did a great job. The course played really well and looked great. You can’t beat St Andrews, without a doubt.’

The 35-year-old Irishman finished the tournament on 271, 16 under par, collecting a mammoth cheque for £450,000, which included a bonus for winning the team contest along with partner JP McManus.

Harrington began the tournament at Kingsbarns, where his first round 66 included five birdies in a row around the turn to set the tone for a successful week. A second round 69 on the Old Course was followed by a superb 68 at windy Carnoustie on a day when fewer than 30 of the 164 pros in the event broke par.

Harrington started the final day one behind playing partner Bradley Dredge but he was quickly level after a birdie at the first. Dredge regained the lead at the 5 th holding it until the 9 th, where Harrington’s three brought him level again.

The crucial hole in their battle was High Hole, the 11 th.

Having seen the Irishman land 10 feet from the hole at the par three, Dredge went for the pin with a seven iron only to see his shot fall short into Strath Bunker. Playing out backwards led to a double bogey five. Harrington meanwhile sunk his putt for a birdie and a three shot swing. While Harrington had the luxury of parring his way through to the Road Hole, Dredge was forced to take risks and dropped further shots at 13 and 17.

Brief challenges came from Loar and Wall. Loar reached 14 under after a run of five birdies in six holes between 5 and 10, but he dropped shots at 11, 15 and 17 to fall away. Nevertheless, unheralded American Loar was delighted with this week’s work: ‘It was the greatest week of my golfing career, playing at the Home of Golf and being paired with Ernie Els and Vijay Singh,’ Loar said. ‘This has been an awesome week for me.’

Wall, too, flew high being seven under par for his round after 12 and within a shot of the lead. However, he lost ground at 13, 14 and 17 and had to settle for a share of second.

Fifth place went to Ernie Els, who delighted the galleries with an eagle two at the 18th.

The final triumph went to Harrington, however, who finished his round with a huge drive into the Valley of Sin, a delicate chip to three feet and a dead centre putt for a perfect birdie three.

The Dunhill again attracted good crowds to watch the pro-am format which featured stars from the worlds of entertainment and sport alongside golfers from other walks of life experiencing the pleasure of playing classic links courses.

Actor Michael Douglas returned to St Andrews for a tenth time, saying: ‘I always feel like a kid sneaking out of school when I play, and for all the frustrations and disappointments when you hit a bad shot it's just a wonderful experience to play at St Andrews. I never cease to be amazed when I start out on the first tee here.’

Don Felder, guitarists with the Eagles, returned for a fourth time: ‘I look forward to playing every year: it’s like Christmas. To be part of this tournament, the whole thing, is a wonderful experience. The courses are beautiful and St Andrews is legendary.’

Hollywood actor Bill Murray played the Old Course in full autumnal mode, with occasional rain showers interrupting the sunshine. ‘The rainbows were brilliant,’ he said. ‘For me golf is about having fun and winning, and in that order.’

A delighted Tico Torres, drummer of Bon Jovi, made the cut for the first time and finished tied 16th. He said: ‘I've been playing this tournament since 2001 and this is fantastic. This event is a total highlight of my year as these are my favourite courses in the world. I love playing in Scotland, the unpredictable weather and the natural raw feeling of these links courses and the warmth of the people all make this the best golf experience.’

Although they didn’t qualify for the final day’s play, David Howell and partner Hugh Grant brought a good gallery onto the Links. On the tee of Road Hole Howell advised Grant to aim at the hotel: ‘the word ‘hotel’ on the sheds, not the hotel itself.’

Veteran Mark Roe chose the occasion of his fourth round to retire from competitive golf: "It doesn't get any better than that," he said after a 67. ‘I wanted to finish on the Old Course and I played in a bit of a blur, to be honest.’

Bradley Dredge takes Old Course record
The Old Course has a new record score after Bradley Dredge signed for a first round 64. Beginning at the tenth tee, Welshman Dredge hit five birdies in a row before adding a sixth at 16. A double bogey at 17, where he drove out of bounds, was the only blemish on a card that showed further birdies on 18, 2, 5 and 9. Commenting on his Road Hole experience he said, ‘ I actually holed a good 12-foot putt for a six so walked off the green with a smile on my face!’

Dredge was unaware of his new status when he left the course and expressed surprise on being told the news at the Links Clubhouse.

He later said: 'I have always found it hard to score around St Andrews. I must have played 40 or 50-odd rounds here and I think to score well is a lot to do with course knowledge. I seem to be getting better at it but it has taken me a while to be successful. I am still learning the course - you never really master it.'