The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship has had some detractors down the years – guilty as charged – but for the players coming from the white-hot tension of Whistling Straits, it’s the perfect antidote.
They’re all the quality of the tour or they wouldn’t have been in Wisconsin anyway, so it’s no surprise to see Tyrrell Hatton leading, with Tommy Fleetwood and Shane Lowry in the top ten after two rounds.
But this being the perfect wind down after the Ryder Cup has to be a factor as well. Hatton, also, has a record of win-win-2nd but should have won-15th in his last four tries at the Dunhill anyway.
‘It’s not like there’s any pressure on me’
Back to back birdies 💪@TyrrellHatton leads the way at 10 under.#DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/Lwsiax7R5t
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 1, 2021
After a two-under 70 through the exposed Kingsbarns took him into the lead at ten-under yet again, he expounded on the restorative powers of the links and the Dunhill doughnuts, even in these tough conditions.
“I do feel pretty tired from last week,” he said. “But I have proven myself here since my first win in 2016.
“It’s not like there’s any pressure on me going into this week, even though this event has been very kind to me over the years. You still need to go out and hit shots and hole putts.
“It’s also nice to have my dad out here with me this year. It’s a pretty chilled week compared to any other tournament we play in. He’s never played these courses before and, after today, I don’t think he’ll want to play them again as it was a tough day, bless him.
‘It doesn’t feel as stressful as a normal tournament’
Near hole out! 😲@TommyFleetwood1 goes close to an eagle on the 1st at Kingsbarns#DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/3H5kLeZmqk
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 1, 2021
“Because it doesn’t feel as stressful as a normal tournament, that probably helps guys to come and play this week after a Ryder Cup.
“It’s a good set up here and we are well looked after. I especially like the doughnuts they have – they are dangerous!”
Fleetwood feels more refreshed than he thought, and loved plotting his way through the high winds to a one-under 71 to share fifth on seven-under.
“I played amazing,” he said. “I missed two greens, had complete control of my ball, hit some really strong tee-shots. My iron-play was great. One-under feels like the worst it could have been.
‘Loads of gas in the tank’
The first and the 18th side by side at @TheHomeofGolf
Two of the most iconic holes in the game ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/LWvz1jGR6h
— Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (@dunhilllinks) October 1, 2021
“Loads of gas in the tank left. I feel really, really good. You always enjoy this week – it’s long days but I enjoy seeing friends I see only once a year. It’s a lovely week to play after the Ryder Cup. I always come here feeling like I can do well.”
Apart from the tension, there’s another obvious difference from last week for Fleetwood.
“The spectators are much more in my favour,” he said. “They are much kinder.
“But last week was an amazing life experience for us. It 100 percent brought us so close together. I had a couple of great moments where I was in the last group on the course, when everybody was there (watching).
“We had an amazing time. And it was an experience to go out there, be a team and take on arguably the greatest Ryder Cup team of all-time.”
“I’ve won one and lost one. We can look back at putts we missed and shots we didn’t hit. But the fact was we went out and fought and gave it everything. Which was what we wanted to do.”
‘When they miss a putt, our fans cheer too’
Birdie
Birdie
EAGLE @Danny_Willett joins the top of the leaderboard with the perfect start to his back nine.#DunhillLinks pic.twitter.com/8pqJSXgE3p— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) October 1, 2021
Hatton didn’t hear much hostility, or at least blocked it out.
“I didn’t hear too much,” he said. “There wasn’t really any abuse thrown at me.
“The only bad stuff I had was a guy opening a can at the top of my backswing on 15 on Saturday afternoon. It is what it is.
“I am sure Emily, my wife, heard some things they said about me. But you expect a hostile atmosphere when you play a Ryder Cup away, and obviously they created that.
“I can’t really be too negative because, when we play a home Ryder Cup and they miss a putt, our fans cheers, too. We can’t be negative towards that when it is the same over here. I think that is the fairest way to put it.”
England’s Daniel Gavins is alone in second at the halfway point on nine-under, with Danny Willett and Haotong Li sharing third a shot further back.