Frenchman Victor Perez, who lives in nearby Dundee, became the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links, beating Essex’s Matthew Southgate, at St Andrews. Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

VICTOR Perez claimed his maiden European Tour title as he became the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews Old Course.

Bt the Frenchman was really feeling at home – his breakthrough victory came just 15 miles from the place he currently calls home… Dundee.

And Perez was greeted by the famous 18th green next to the R&A clubhouse where so many of the game’s greats have been crowned Open Champion, by his girlfriend Abigail, who is a dentistry student in the Scottish town, just along the Fife coast.

Perez was delighted to cut his teeth with a maiden victory, saying: “It’s really hard to describe right now. I feel like the emotions were really high all day, and really cold, windy, long day out there.

“I felt like I was able to battle. Matt played amazing. I was expecting some of the guys to charge.

“We were fortunate in a it was a one-on-one battle on the back nine. I was able to make that birdie on 14 that really pulled me back – and then just held strong till the end. I was fortunate it was my time.

“After the birdie on 14, getting tied for the lead, playing 15, I just tried to still give myself chances. You always expect these guys at this level to make birdies and you have to stay aggressive.

“I think when Matt hit his drive down 16, well, I thought: ‘There you have it. This is what these guys do. They come in there and give themselves chances.’

“I hit a great drive to 17 that really settled me and a great iron shot that I thought hit it close. Going down the last with a one-shot lead is all you can ask for.

“The format is awesome. I think it’s a chance for the amateurs to see from inside the ropes and connect with the players, which is something that they strive for, and they love to do and chat with us, and ask what clubs we hit – and why, and all those kind of questions.

“ I think it’s really cool that we can give back to those people, as well,” Perez added.

“Obviously there’s nothing like a win. The confidence you get from getting it done – it’s so difficult at this level to win,” said the two-time Challenge Tour winner.

“Being my first year, I’m obviously delighted.”

But there was clue to Perez’s victory – going in to the Dunhill he sat seventh in strokeaverage on links courses since January 2017, at 69.25.

He was behind just Jordan Spieth (69.25), Eddie Pepperell (69.21), Tommy Fleetwood (69.16), Justin Rose (69.16), Robert MacIntyre (69.07) and Jon Rahm (68.86).

It was a tense battle throughout as the 27-year-old locked horns with his playing partner Matthew Southgate, having both shared a two-stroke lead heading into the final day.

Perez was one stroke behind the Essex golfer – who was playing with former R&A secretary Peter Dawson – heading into the back nine, despite a flawless front nine completed in two-under.

A dropped shot at the par three 11^th meant he dropped further off the pace.

But a birdie at the par five 14^th for the 2018 European Challenge Tour graduate, and a bogey for Southgate, meant a two-shot swing had them level going down the stretch.

Southgate’s missed par putt at the 17^th was decisive as Perez edged ahead and two pars at the famous final hole at the Home of Golf earned Perez a career-changing victory as he moved to 17^th in the Race to Dubai rankings.

Southgate had been left feeling frustrated after missing the cut at Wentworth a week earlier.

But a return to Carnoustie where he and his father have been country members and the Home of Golf – where he claimed the biggest victory of his amateur career in the St Andrews Links Trophy, in 2010, clearly rejuvenated him.

Southgate, who saves his best performances for links golf – he was sixth in the 2017 Open at Royal Birkdale – could console himself with an important outright second place finish.

Southend’s Southgate, who is attached to Thorpe Hall – the club where amateur legend Sir Michael Bonallack, the R&A secretary before Peter Dawson, is also a member – said: “I’ve done everything I can do.

“I was impressed with how level-headed I stayed and felt amazingly calm really all day, which is quite a surprise to be honest.

“I thought I might be a little more excited and kept a great rhythm with my swing. Didn’t miss a shot all day and if anything, hit a couple too good that went past the flag.

“It’s been a horrible season for me and this has sorted that right out and gotten us right back to the Race to Dubai and that’s the goal for me, really.

“I think I’ve proven to the world this week that when I do switch it on, I can mix it with the best and I’ve beaten a hell of a lot of good players this week.

“I’ve played some great golf, and you can’t help but be pleased. Victor, what a gentleman. I’ve never played with him before, and couldn’t be happier for him.

“You know, one of us was on the first tee and I was thinking, I hope one of us gets our first win, and golf’s bigger than individual.

“It’s a big gentleman’s game, and it was an absolute pleasure to shake his hand on the last green there. He played fantastic all day, and I’m chuffed to bits coming second to such a great bloke.”

That runners-up spot secured Southgate’s European Tour card for 2020 after a disappointing season up to that point.

Tommy Fleetwood, meanwhile, won the team prize in the pro-am event alongside partner Ogden Phipps II, pipping Rory McIlroy and his father Gerry to the title, denying the four-time Major winner a perfect 60th birthday present for his dad.

Fleetwood, who denied the McIlroys the team prize by virtue of his better pro’s score, said: “I played all right today. I think putting was a massive difference.

“Yesterday I struggled and it was a bit of a flat day. For the most part today, I was thinking about the team competition.

“I think it took my mind off everything else and just got on a really nice run,” said Fleetwood.

“We’ve played in it a lot and I know how much it means to those guys. I was nervous.

“I said to Ogden, we had five holes left, and he said, ‘I’m going to need you on these last few.’

“He was nervous coming down the stretch but we did great. To win it. It means a lot when it’s not just yourself and it’s a partnership.”

For final scores at the Alfred Dunhill Links, click here.

Frenchman Victor Perez, who lives in nearby Dundee, became the first rookie to win the Alfred Dunhill Links, beating Essex’s Matthew Southgate, at St Andrews. Picture by GETTY IMAGES.

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Victor Perez, the Frenchman who lives in Dundee, shot an eight-under 64 at Kingsbarns, in the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

DUNDEE-based Frenchman Victor Perez and Essex’s Matthew Southgate will enter the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in a share of the lead, with both players chasing a maiden European Tour title.

The famous St Andrews Old Course will play host on the final day and with the wind set to kick up, it will be all to play for among the chasing pack which features Cheshire’s Paul Waring, American Ryder Cup player Tony Finau and former World No, 1 Luke Donald.

But Perez and Southgate are in pole position at the Home of Golf, as they sit atop the leaderboard with a two-stroke advantage on 20-under par.

And Southgate will be looking to write a piece of St Andrews history by becoming the first player to win the St Andrews Links Trophy – one of the top amateur trophies – and the Alfred Dunhill Links, one of the most prestigrious on the European Tour.

Perez, who lives with his partner in nearby Dundee will be vying for a first European Tour victory in his rookie season, having graduated from the European Challenge Tour last year.

The 27-year-old carded an eight-under 64 at Kingsbarns Golf Links which included a run of five successive birdies.

Perez said: “It was awesome. Bit windier today. Out of all the courses, we got a bit fortunate to play here today, being a bit wider off the tee. Maybe Carnoustie would have been the tougher course today.

“I played great and hit the ball really well. Felt like I made a couple of putts. I didn’t make any bombs out there or anything.

“Missed a short one on eight but the rest of the ball-striking was class today and I was really pleased with nine birdies again, obviously.”

Southgate, meanwhile, is making his 140^th appearance on Tour and the closest he has come was a share of second place at the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

The 30-year-old signed for a seven-under 65 at the Old Course after finishing with a birdie at the ninth, his 18^th.

Matthew Southgate, who won the 2010 St Andrews Links – played over three rounds on the Old Course, and one at either the neighbouring New or Jubilee Courses, said: “I didn’t miss many shots and got the speed of the greens really good.

“I set up so many chances. I was always bound to make a good fistful of them. Not much you can say really. Just really solid all day.

“My swing feels very solid. I feel very happy in my own head at the minute and playing with such a clear mind and just easy swing thoughts.

“The biggest job tomorrow is going to be keeping me in check rather than the golf swing. I’m hitting the ball fantastic the first three days, so there’s no reason why I can’t shoot another good score.

“Someone is going to post a good number, so it’s going to take a good score to get the win.

“I’m so passionate about winning tournaments and being here at the Home of Golf, tomorrow is going to be a difficult one to just keep myself in check and keep producing what I have done the first three days.”

Waring, who grew up playing links golf at the Wirral, and won the 2005 English Amateur Championship at his home club Bromborough, said: “Anything under par around Carnoustie you always take – especially with quite a stiff breeze out there.

“Pleased to shoot as low as I did and get myself involved with the tournament.

“I think when I’m happy and I’m having fun, I feel like I’m at my best. So, this week kind of blends well into the two elements for me.

“If I get a little bit too into it, a little bit sort of too strict on myself, it can have negative effects, said 34-year-old Waring, whose first win came in last year’s Nordea Masters.

“When I’m bouncing around and having a laugh, it’s the true me. It’s showing this season how I’m playing. Enjoying myself a bit more.”

Finau said: “I was happy with the way I played. Missed a short one on 17, but outside of that I played really nicely.

“I thought it was tough. That front nine, every hole was into the wind. It was quite cool this morning when we teed off, so a lot of those holes played a lot harder than they normally do with the wind.

“I was happy to get around the front nine in a couple under and I was able to score on the back nine,” said Finau, whose only PGA Tour win came in Puerto Rico, three years ago.

“It’s very cool to be at the Home of Golf. The Old Course, there’s nothing like it. So, to be able to tee it up tomorrow and play and have a chance to win a golf tournament here is going to be something special,” added Finau.

For final round scores click here.

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South Africa’s Justin Walters has been battling a calf injury and lost his father earlier this year but shot a superb 63 at St Andrews to lead the Alfred Dunhill Links after the first round. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

JUSTIN Walters found his form in spectacular style at St Andrews to take a one-shot lead after an emotional first day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The South African has faced plenty of adversity on the golf course during the 2019 Race to Dubai, battling a calf injury over the summer and failing to register a top 20 in 23 starts on the European Tour.

The 38-year-old also sadly lost his father this year but revealed after carding a stunning 63 around the Old Course he felt his presence as he fired his lowest round on the European Tour for six years at the Home of Golf.

Walters said: “I haven’t shot anything under 69 or 68 in a long time. To do it here at St Andrews, and the emotions I’ve been through the last few months, it’s just so special.

“I’ve been swinging really well all-year mostly, from about US Open when I qualified, and I got to the Irish Open and tore my calf really badly.

“Really struggled to get right again for a while, and I finally got over that, and then I lost my dad.

“It was quite hard. I just kind of decided not to feel sorry for myself, really, and kind of dust myself off and coming in here, it has a healing quality,” said Walters, who is coached by West Hove’s Ryan Fenwick.

“I don’t know, it’s hard to describe. I was here with my dad when we lost Mum, and just thought I was back with him.”

His nine-under total handed him a one-shot lead over New Zealander Ryan Fox, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, Frenchman Victor Perez and Wiltshire’s Jordan Smith.

The famous pro-am event features a star-studded line-up, with many of the world’s best golfers playing alongside celebrities, businessmen and women and family members, over three stunning venues – St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns Golf Links and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Fox, Smith and Perez joined Walters at St Andrews, while Otaegui carded his 64 at Kingsbarns.

Fox said: “I played really solid and for the first time in a while I saw some putts go in and hit some great shots coming down the stretch.

“It was just nice to take advantage of those fairly benign conditions out there.

“It’s a cool format to get to play these three golf courses, and they look after us so well this week.

“I love pro-am formats, and I’ve played with Shane Warne the last couple years and we get along really well.

“We’ve had a lot of fun out there, become good friends because of this event.”

Essex’s Matthew Southgate recorded the lowest round of the day at Carnoustie with a 65 to sit at seven-under alongside Cheshire’s Paul Waring, Scot Richie Ramsay, South African Jaco Ahlers, Finn Tapio Pulkkanen and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan.

Southgate, who seems to save his best for links golf, said he was “chuffed to bits.”

“It’s a dream come true really for me. I’ve waited a long time to go down that last hole with that feeling. A really, really special day for me.

“I fell in love with the game again, which is great. Everybody has ebbs and flows in their career with that.

“The last four weeks has been really good for me and I’ve got stuck into practise like I’m 17 again, which is great and enjoying every minute of it.”

A week after the likes of Paul Casey and Justin Rose spoke about their memories of being inspired by watchign their heroes play in the PGA Championship at Wentworth, local Hero Ramsay, who was the first European to win the US Amateur in a century back in 2006, revealed St Andrews had the same effect for him.

Ramsay, who shot 65 at Kinsbarns, said: “You always look at it and think, if I want to win one tournament, the Scottish Open, the Dunhill are the ones that are right there because I used come down here when I was seven or eight and watch the guys play in the Dunhill Cup.

“It’s cool for me to play in it and just proud that I shot a good number today,” added Ramsey, who was sixth last week at Wentworth.

“I’ll iust try to keep the foot down because there’s so many good players this week. The main goal is to get in the mix on Sunday going into the back nine.

“Old Course St Andrews, back nine on Sunday, those ingredients are just too good. That would be a dream to be there and have a chance to win,” added Ramsay, whose only top five this year came in the Betfred British Masters on Hilside’s Lancashire links, back in May

Frenchman Perez is currently seventh on a list of players with the best strokeaverage on links courses since the beginning of January 2017 – and revealed why he has become so proficient by the sea.

Perez said: “I live in Dundee. My girlfriend goes to dental school here. I’ve lived here for the last year and a half.

“Being around and playing links all the time when I’m not in tournaments definitely makes a big difference.

“It’s just being used to the bounce and used to the greens,” said the 27-year-old who has two wins on the European Challenge Tour.

“I don’t think you can play enough links golf, and it definitely played to my advantage today for sure.”

Lee Westwood made his second hole-in-one of the season and third of his illustrious European Tour career as he holed a six-iron from 189 yards on the eighth at Carnoustie for the 26th hole-in-one of the 20129 Race to Dubai.

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Moor Park’s Callum Shinkwin put his recent back problem behind him to lead after the first round in the 100th KLM Open, in Holland. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

MOOR Park’s Callum Shinkwin carded a superb six-under par 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the 100^th edition of the KLM Open.

The Hertfordshire player sits 126th in the Race to Dubai rankings and 446th in the Official World Golf Rankings – but belied his status to lead a large chasing pack at The International.

Shinkwin said: “My golf as of late has not been great, as has my health as well, but the golf… is still not there, still very uncomfortable – but I managed to turn it round and shoot a good round of 66.

“I caught food poisoning back in Sweden – it can happen anywhere – but I caught it there and couldn’t get up on that Friday morning

“And then I’ve had a bit of a bad back as well. My back went last week and I thought the best thing to do it to walk in and basically have the weekend off and recover.

The former Walker Cup player, who claimed the Hampshire Hog at North Hants GC, in 2012, and then took the Hampshire Salver a year later when he went on to face the USA at New York’s Long Island, revealed that despite the illness and injuries, he has been battling to get back to the form that saw him lose a play-off with Rafa Cabrera Bello at the 2017 Scottish Open.

Shinkwin said: “Just working hard really. Been down the range, working on what I needed to work on. I wasn’t hitting the ball very well, that’s probably why the back wasn’t great.

“But I’m just working hard and if I’m feeling uncomfortable then that means I’m doing the right things.”

The 26-year-old reached the turn in 32 courtesy of an eagle, three birdies and one dropped shot before a blemish free back nine – which included two gains – help him to the top of the leaderboard.

Malaysian Gavin Green made a trademark fast start to finish on five-under, with Shinkwin’s playing partner Swede Per Langfors carding 67 to sit alongside Scot Marc Warren, Dane Nicolai Højgaard, and Englishmen Chris Paisley, Sam Horsfield and Matthew Southgate at five-under.

The 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia led a group of eight players one shot further adrift at four-under after signing for a bogey-free 68 on a low scoring morning in the Netherlands.

Garcia said: “It was nice. Obviously, the conditions got a little bit trickier in the last six or seven holes with the wind picking up a little bit. Before that it was quite nice, so I am happy with that.

“The experience yesterday wasn’t very good in the pro-am with the rain and my neck was a little bit stiff, but we are playing through it and hopefully it won’t creep up on me throughout the week.

“The course is nice, the greens are very nice and rolling at a nice speed, so it is a good-looking golf course with big greens and a lot of movement.

“I need a little bit more of the same thing I did today. Just keep working on the confidence and keep working hard like I have been doing, and hopefully I will have a chance this week.”

Defending champion Wu Ashun was one of 10 players at three-under, including two-time KLM Open winner and playing partner Joost Luiten, who came home in a remarkable 30 after carding his opening front nine in three-over.

Luiten, who is going for a hat-trick of wins in his national Open during its centenary, said: “I felt like my mindset changed a little bit.

“I was three-over after nine and I thought alright, I am just going to go for every flag now, I can’t play safe anymore.

“I was playing a bit too safe on the front nine and that is where the mistakes came from and started to steer the ball a little bit away from the flags.

“Once you get the birdies going you get in the zone and then you don’t really realise what is going on around you.

“You just want to make more birdies, and it’s great that it happened. To make six, I created enough chances to make birdies and that is what you need to do on a course like this.”

•For live scoring in the KLM Open click here.

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