September 26-29
St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns Golf Links & Carnoustie Golf Links
$5,000,000
Live leaderboard
Round 2, Round 3, Round 4

Justin Walters found his form in spectacular style at St Andrews to take a one shot lead after an emotional first day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

“I haven't shot anything under 69 or 68 in a long time. To do it here at St. Andrews, and the emotions I've been through the last few months, it's just so special."

The South African has faced plenty of adversity on the golf course during the 2019 Race to Dubai, battling a calf injury over the summer and failing to register a top 20 in 23 starts on the European Tour.

The 38-year-old also sadly lost his father this year but revealed after carding a stunning 63 around the Old Course that he felt his presence as he fired his lowest round on the European Tour for six years at the Home of Golf.

“I've been swinging really well all year mostly, from about U.S. Open when I qualified, and I got to The Irish Open and tore my calf really badly. Really struggled to get right again for a while, and I finally got over that, and then I lost my dad.

“It was quite hard. I just kind of decided not to feel sorry for myself, really, and kind of dust myself off and coming in here, it has a healing quality. I don't know, it's hard to describe. I was here with my dad when we lost Mum, and just thought I was back with him.”

His nine under par total handed him a one shot lead over New Zealander Ryan Fox, Spaniard Adrian Otaegui, Frenchman Victor Perez and England's Jordan Smith.

“I played really solid and for the first time in a while I saw some putts go in and hit some great shots coming down the stretch," said Fox. "It was just nice to take advantage of those fairly benign conditions out there.

“It's a cool format to get to play these three golf courses, and they look after us so well this week. I love Pro-Am formats, and I've played with Shane Warne the last couple years and we get along really well. We've had a lot of fun out there, become good friends because of this event.”

The famous pro-am event features a star-studded line-up this week, with many of the world's best golfers playing alongside celebrities, business people and family members, over three stunning venues – St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns Golf Links and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Fox, Smith and Perez joined Walters at St Andrews, while Otaegui carded his 64 at Kingsbarns. England's Matthew Southgate recorded the lowest round of the day at Carnoustie with a 65 to sit at seven under par alongside his countryman Paul Waring, home favourite Richie Ramsay, South African Jaco Ahlers, Finn Tapio Pulkkanen and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan.

“Chuffed to bits," said Southgate. "It's a dream come true really for me. I've waited a long time to go down that last hole with that feeling. A really, really special day for me.

“I fell in love with the game again, which is great. Everybody has ebbs and flows in their career with that. The last four weeks has been really good for me and I've got stuck into practise like I'm 17 again which great and enjoying every minute of it.”

Lee Westwood made his second hole-in-one of the season and third of his illustrious European Tour career as he holed a six iron from 189 yards on the eighth at Carnoustie for the 26th hole-in-one of the 20129 Race to Dubai.