FOR one very special hour the golf world had eyes only for two players at St Andrews last night – one leaving the stage for good and the other threatening to leave the rest for dead.

YOU wouldn’t have wanted to be out in the latter part of the day at St Andrews yesterday but ironically that’s when the challenge fared best.

ARE the rest playing for second place? That was the big question in St Andrews last night after Tiger Woods had cruised through the first round of the Open Championship in a near effortless six under par 66.

A massive 21 players are separated by a mere three strokes at the halfway stage of the £3million Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

A WEEK after an inspiring role in Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the US, Ireland's Padraig Harrington kept his nerve again to claim the biggest cheque of his golfing career yesterday.

Nine members of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team – plus captain Sam Torrance - can expect a hero’s welcome when they tee off in the £3m (€4.77m) Dunhill links championship in Scotland tomorrow.

Scottish golf fans will, after all, have a second chance to show what they think of the Dunhill Links Championship, Britain’s richest-ever golf event.

Paul Lawrie’s 40-foot putt to win the Dunhill Links championship at St Andrews has been named the European Tour's Shot of the Year.

Ian Woosnam is the European tour's Asprey and Garrard Golfer of the Month for October.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie achieved his first victory since the 1999 Open championship at St Andrews today, winning the Dunhill Links championship with a dramatic 40-foot putt on the final green.