McIlroy fades after sensational start as Hatton closes in on Alfred Dunhill Links hat trick

Tyrrell Hatton of England tees off on the 18th hole during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2024 at the Old Course at St Andrews on October 05, 2024 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Rory McIlroy stormed to the turn in seven under, only to hit a brick wall on the back nine and fade from contention in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

Eight shots off the pace overnight, the world number three raced to within touching distance of the top ten when he birdied the first two holes on the Old Course before knocking in five brides in a row from the fifth to turn in a sensational seven-under 29.

But he lurched home in three-over 39 en route to a four-under 68 that left him tied for 40th with Shane Lowry on 10-under, 12 shots behind two-time winner Tyrrell Hatton.

“I think it was just to go out and have an enjoyable day,” McIlroy told Sky Sports of his mindset as he made the turn alongside his father Gerry, who was celebrating his 65th birthday.

“I wanted to go out here and have fun with my dad. And I think when my attitude is to go out there and have fun, then I can produce golf like this.”

“It’s an interesting group, playing with Dean and Yasir as well with everything that's going on in the golf world,” added McIlroy, who was playing alongside PIF Chairman Yasir Al Rumyyan and South Africa’s Dean Burmester.

“So I was looking forward, forward to the day anyway. But yeah, it's obviously been a great start, a good front nine, and hopefully we can keep it going here on the back.”

McIlroy couldn’t keep it going, however, three-putting for par at the driveable 10th before dropping a shot after driving into bushes at the 12th.

He dropped another shot at the 16h before taking four to get down from just short of the 18th green.

LIV Golf star Hatton, who won the title in 2016 and 2017, fired a course record-equaling 11-under 61 at St Andrews to lead by a shot on 22-under from Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts, who had an albatross two on the par-five 16th in a seven-under 65 at Kingsbarns.

“I was just taking each hole as it came and just trying to make as many birdies as I could,” said Hatton, who birdied the third, fourth and sixth and eagled the fifth to go out in 31 before scorching home in 30 thanks to four birdies in a row from the 12th followed by two to finish. 

“I knew when I holed that putt on 17, I had actually shot 10-under here before. I can't remember if it was 2016, the year that I won.

“So yeah, I really wanted to birdie the last. That's actually my lowest round on tour, as well.

“Felt like I was trying harder than I normally would for a putt on the last. Good putt and thankfully it went in. It was a cool day.”

Colsaerts went four shots clear on 20-under when he holed a six-iron shot for a two at his seventh hole, the 16th, for a rare albatross.

The former Ryder Cup star (41) then followed a double bogey six at the 18th with an eagle three at the third on his back nine to remain on track to take advantage of a sponsor’s invitation as he chases his first win for five years.

“Well, obviously super special,” Colsaerts said of his two at the 16th, where his approach ran up a steep backstop before trickling back into the hole. 

“I think that when you play Kingsbarns and you play 16 and you see that hole down the left, that's obviously where you would like to see the flag, which is not the usual spot actually.

“We've had it before, but that 6-iron just came out perfectly. I was like, I'm going to take a chance and try to fly it in there, and I saw the ball coming back down the backstop, I was like, okay, and I put the two hands in the air. Super special. An albatross is pretty rare. Really chuffed, yeah.”

As for winning, he said: “It would be amazing, being at St Andrews and being at an event and atmosphere I’ve always liked to play in.

“We always get looked after incredibly well, and for how long it's been on the calendar, it would mean a lot.”

Tom McKibbin carded a six-under 66 at Kingsbarns to lead the Irish challenge in a tie for 22nd on 12-under.

Padraig Harrington’s 68 at St Andrews left him a shot further back in 29th, while Lowry was tied for 40th with McIlroy on 10-under after also shooting 68 on the Old Course.

Alex Maguire missed the 54-hole cut by five shots despite carding a bogey-free 67 on the Old Course to finish four-under.