Tyrrell Hatton seals historic third Dunhill Links victory

Tyrrell Hatton has made history as the first ever three-time winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The Englishman started his love affair with the event when he claimed his first title in 2016 before successfully defending his crown 12 months later.

Two more runner-up finishes followed in 2018 and 2021 and he had to battle the elements on the Old Course on Sunday to ensure his place in history.

He had equalled the course record on Saturday to earn a one-shot lead, which inflated to three after four birdies through his first 11 holes.

Hatton endured a wobble during the closing stages which saw Nicolas Colsaerts move alongside him at the summit with three holes remaining, but he birdied the last to seal the one-shot triumph at 24 under.

"It feels good. It's actually the first tournament I have won with my dad here, it means a lot and to do it at the home of golf is really special," Hatton said. "I'm trying not to cry to be honest, I'm a bit lost for words.

"I didn't actually know what the scores were from when we left at the halfway house. The first leaderboard I saw was on the 17th green.

"When I double bogeyed 13 and bogeyed 14, I didn't realise I was still in and around the lead and just tried my best on every shot coming in, and then I see where I'm at at the 17th green, then I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.

"To have a three and a half foot putt is quite nerve-wracking and I was so relieved when it went in.

"I'm so happy I've got my place booked in Dubai. When I teed it up last week at the Spanish Open I knew I needed a second on my own to have a chance."

Hatton began the day with a one-shot lead but quickly doubled his advantage when he rolled in his first birdie at the second from 21 feet.

However, it was quickly eradicated as Colsaerts produced a brilliant bunker shot to close range at the third before draining a testing putt at the next to join Hatton in the lead at 23 under.

The Englishman responded with a birdie of his own at the fifth from four feet to be the first player to reach 24 under.

Colsaerts then found the middle of the cup from 16 feet from just off the seventh green to rejoin Hatton at the summit.

The chasing pack were making their move behind as Spain's David Puig reach the turn in 29 after a run of six straight birdies from the second before wrapping up the front nine with another to sit two shots adrift of the leading pair.

Tom Vaillant was also at 22 under with three birdies on his opening nine holes, while behind him Colsaerts blinked first when a wayward tee shot at the par-three eighth resulted in a bogey.

Hatton was narrowly short with his eagle putt at the tenth as he tapped in to reach 25 under, with Puig's double bogey seeing him slip to four behind.

Colsaerts could not follow Hatton in with a birdie at the tenth and pushed his next attempt at the 11th left of the cup, but when the World Number 38 drained his birdie putt at the same hole, he was three clear at 26 under.

Vaillant bogeyed the 12th to slip five adrift as Colsaerts, who was three back, was left as Hatton's main challenger.

The final group missed birdie chances at the 12th before they came to the five most difficult holes of the course.

Hatton dropped his first shots of the week on the Old Course with a double bogey at the 13th to slip back to 24 under, but Colsaerts also carded a dropped shot to sit two back.

The Englishman struggled at the next as well to see his lead get trimmed in half after salvaging a bogey.

Colsaerts continued to apply the pressure with a fine approach at the 15th and when he holed his 11-foot putt, he was joint leader at 23 under.

They could not be separated heading down the last, where they almost hit identical tee shots. Hatton chipped his effort to three feet, while Colsaerts putted from off the green to eight feet.

The Belgian could not drain his birdie effort, but Hatton held his nerve to seal victory on the 72nd hole.

Tommy Fleetwood carded a closing 67 to finish in third at 21 under, while Puig, South Africa's Robin Williams and Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen were two shots further back in a tie for fourth.

Vaillant, Spaniard Jon Rahm and China's Li Haotong were one adrift at 18 under.

In the team event, Thorbjørn Olesen and Dermot Desmond secured victory by two shots after carding a remarkable 48 under par.