Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – round one

-7 M Stewart (Sco), J Buchanan (SA); -6 MJ Daffue (SA), C Jarvis (SA)

Selected others: -4 M Fitzpatrick (Eng), S Straka (Aut), C Hill (Sco), S Bairstow (Eng); -3 B Koepka (US); -2 T Fleetwood (Eng); -1 A Fitzpatrick (Eng), R MacIntyre (Sco), L Westwood (Eng), I Poulter (Eng); +2 T Hatton (Eng)

Full leaderboard

On a day when Matt Fitzpatrick began his quest for a fifth win of the year, Robert MacIntyre reacted furiously to a drone and Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter made a DP World Tour return after an absence of almost four years, two players outside the world’s top 700 stole the show at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Scotland’s Michael Stewart, ranked 979, and 21-year-old South African amateur Jack Buchanan, currently at 788, both shot 65 to sit at seven under after outscoring a big-name field to share the lead at the end of round one.

Stewart, 36, has played only five events on the main European circuit – the last in 2023 – and teed off less than 24 hours after finishing second in the Tartan Tour’s Duddingston Classic having received a sponsor’s invite this week.

However, after making a solitary birdie on the front nine, an eagle on the par-five 12th proved to be the catalyst for him the play the next five holes in six under after the turn.

“It’s easy to get yourself up for this event. I played Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday [at Duddingston], straight here. I’ve played here a lot in the past and just delighted to be part of the event.

“I grew up on a links course. I played nice all day to be honest. Lots of fairways, lots of greens and then on the back, the putter got hot.”

Stewart’s remarkable back nine at Carnoustie and Buchanan’s equally impressive score at Kingsbarns, was in contrast to several eye-catching moments in the team event featuring former sports stars and celebrities, who were paired with the professionals.

However, ex-Real Madrid and Wales winger Gareth Bale did at least provide instantly shareable social media content when his ball found the roof of the Jigger Inn, teeing off on the 17th at St Andrews – one of three courses utilised to stage the tournament.

South Africa’s MJ Daffue and Casey Jarvis are a stroke off the lead on the professional leaderboard, while Fitzpatrick, who was victorious at the French Open last week, signed for a four-under 68 to sit three shots adrift.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka was three under after a 69 at Carnoustie, a shot better off than Tommy Fleetwood, while defending champion MacIntyre was one under at the same course.

MacIntyre was also spoken to by officials after losing his temper because of a drone flying above him on the par-three eighth, his penultimate hole of the day.

“It drives me insane. I’ve had previous for it,” he said.

“I asked [the rules official] twice previous to the shot on the eighth about the drone. I can’t say anything just now.

“He’s obviously heard me swear a few times straight at the camera guy. We’ll see what the TD [tournament director] has got to say.”

Westwood is at one under, with Poulter at level par on their first appearances on the DP World Tour since January 2023, having made controversial switches to LIV Golf in 2022.