Dane Lucas Bjerregaard denies Tyrrell Hatton Dunhill hat-trick

By Phil Casey

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard admitted he thought he had blown his chances of victory before a dramatic late twist saw him seal victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews yesterday.

Bjerregaard’s five-under-par 67 earned him a 15-under total of 273, enough to win by one stroke from Tyrrell Hatton and his fast-finishing Ryder Cup team-mate Tommy Fleetwood, whose 69 earned him a share of second place.

But it did not tell the whole story of a day which began early under the ‘shotgun’ system - in which all contenders start at the same time due to adverse weather conditions - and with Hatton holding a four-stroke advantage.

Seeking his third consecutive win in the event, Hatton’s game held up through the first half of his round before four bogeys on the back nine gave the fast-finishing Bjerregaard a chance.

Despite missing birdie chances on the 14th and 15th, and finishing his round with a bogey on the 17th, the Dane still did enough to claim only his second career tour title when Hatton missed a birdie putt to force a play-off.

Bjerregaard said: “It wasn’t until the last few holes that I thought I had a chance.

“It was tough out there, the conditions weren’t easy and it never really looked like I was in it much until the end. I missed a couple of putts on the 14th and the 15th which I thought were crucial.”