The third day at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was halted once again by the fiendish Storm Amy. Barely 15 minutes into the already delayed shotgun starts, the call was made to suspend play. Last year’s Championship was a sight to behold, as we were treated to glorious sunshine and gentle breezes, providing the perfect week for golfing. This week could not be more different, and the players have had to work harder than ever to post competitive scores.
Golf Today spoke to one man who appreciates that grind more than most, catching up with Patrick Reed as he arrived at the range at St Andrews. The American was first to arrive this morning and had already completed a full warm-up by the time many of the other notable names had arrived.
“The guys that embrace it are going to play well, and the guys that are sitting there and complaining about it – those guys are going to struggle.”
A logical but firm statement. The 35-year-old is no stranger to controversy. Having reached nine wins on the PGA Tour and picked up a green jacket at Augusta back in 2018, Reed was one of the first big names to make the switch from the PGA to LIV Golf, not long after the opening event in 2022.
A former Ryder Cup victor, Reed’s infamy was solidified at Hazeltine National in 2016, where he edged Rory McIlroy in the Sunday singles during a feisty affair of champagne golf, earning himself the nickname ‘Captain America’.
Having been awarded an honorary lifetime membership of the DP World Tour in 2019, as a result of his Masters victory the year before, Reed appreciates the challenges that come with links golf:
“It’s always fun coming over here and playing, especially at this event. I actually feel bad for the amateurs, especially yesterday and today; it’s going to be brutal. That’s one of the great things about our sport: that it’s an outdoor sport, so you get all types of weather. You never know what to expect, you just have to take with it and let it run.”
The perils of links golf
It’s clear that Reed loves a challenge, smiling determinedly against the howling winds as they tried their hardest to intimidate the American.
“When you come over (to Scotland), especially to play links golf, you want to have some weather. It’s been a little bit extreme this week, but I feel like the golf courses have held up pretty nicely, and we’re looking forward to the challenge.”
A round of 70 (-2) at Kingsbarns yesterday was more than agreeable to the LIV golfer, stating that “when that wind and rain came in, the golf course played so hard.”
Asked whether he would be playing for a 5-club wind in gusts of 60mph today, Reed was keen to keep it simple: “It’s going to be more about playing golf shots rather than golf swings. I’m pretty sure there are multiple clubs that you can hit off of every shot. You’ve just got to be confident with it, and hopefully you can get out in the right window!”
What’s next?
With the suspension of play persisting throughout the day, the American was left stranded on his first hole, having teed off on the 8th as part of the shotgun start system put in place by the DP World Tour.
The third day of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was officially called off at 2.38 pm BST, with a plan in place for the third round to be played tomorrow across all three courses, with a two-tee starting system in order to get all the golfers out between 9-11.23 am. A decision is expected to be made tomorrow morning as to whether round 3 will be the final round or if the tournament will stretch into Monday.
Reed will head to Madrid next week, as he looks to climb the rankings in the Race to Dubai, where he is currently placed 17th. His best finish to date came back in 2018, placing second, having fallen just short of that year’s Open Champion, Francesco Molinari.
The August conclusion of the LIV golf season allows Reed to enjoy some family time in the lead-up to the holidays.
“I’ve got a busy schedule for the next seven weeks or so, then after that I can have some good time off at home, and spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with the family.”
