Michael Stewart, ranked 979th, shoots 65 to share lead at Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Michael Stewart shot a 65 to sit at seven under and share the first-round lead with Jack Buchanan at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on 1 October 2026. The 36-year-old Scot, ranked 979th in the world, outscored a field containing multiple high-profile names in round one.
Stewart has played only five events on the main European circuit, his last appearance coming in 2023, and teed off less than 24 hours after finishing second in the Tartan Tour's Duddingston Classic following a sponsor's invite for this week. The tournament uses three courses, and the opening day also featured Matt Fitzpatrick starting his bid for a fifth win of the year, Robert MacIntyre reacting angrily to a drone, and Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter making their returns to the DP World Tour after an absence of almost four years.
Stewart made a solitary birdie on the front nine before an eagle on the par-five 12th. That eagle sparked a run in which he played the next five holes in six under after the turn. Reflecting on his week and round, Stewart said: "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."
Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - round one -7 M Stewart (Sco), J Buchanan (Aus); -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). Stewart's back nine at Carnoustie and Buchanan's score at Kingsbarns provided the leading numbers on the professional leaderboard, while a parallel team event produced several eye-catching celebrity moments.
South Africa's MJ Daffue and Casey Jarvis sit one stroke off the lead on the professional leaderboard. Fitzpatrick, who was victorious at the French Open last week, signed for a four-under 68 to lie three shots adrift of the leaders. Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka was three under after a 69 at Carnoustie, one shot better than Tommy Fleetwood.
Defending champion Robert MacIntyre was one under at Carnoustie and was spoken to by officials after losing his temper over a drone flying above him on the par-three eighth, his penultimate hole of the day. MacIntyre said: "It drives me insane. I've had previous for it," and added: "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." Lee Westwood was one under and Ian Poulter was level par on their first DP World Tour appearances since January 2023, after controversial switches to LIV Golf in 2022.
Ex-Real Madrid and Wales winger Gareth Bale supplied a notable moment when his ball found the roof of the Jigger Inn after teeing off on the 17th at St Andrews, one of the three courses used to stage the event. Stewart and Buchanan head into the remaining rounds level atop the leaderboard at the conclusion of round one of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.