Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Preview, Prize Money And Field

Danny Willett 2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 27 September 2022

The DP World Tour returns to Scotland for the much-loved Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, where the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns will play centre stage.

The Home of Golf served up the finest drama when it hosted the 150th Open Championship just a few short months ago, when Cameron Smith chased down Rory McIlroy to secure his maiden Major title. It proved to be a pivotal moment in the Australian's career, with his switch to the Greg Norman-fronted LIV Golf Series finalised shortly after.

For McIlroy, it marked eight years since his last Major success. Although a concern on the face of it, the Northern Irishman posted top-3 finishes at the Masters and Open Championship alongside a T5 at the US Open and solo eighth at the PGA Championship; rising to World No.2 in the process.

The 33-year-old headlines the field this week and will be joined by recently-crowned US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick. With his victory at the Country Club in Brookline, the Englishman joined Jack Nicklaus as the only player to win the US Amateur and US Open at the same venue.

Fitzpatrick followed his Major success with a T6 finish at the Scottish Open, T5 at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and a second place finish at the Italian Open. The 28-year-old's form has catapulted him to a career high 10th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Francesco Molinari will make a return to Carnoustie, the scene of his 2018 Open Championship victory. With a T15 at the Open Championship at St Andrews and T9 at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the Italian is looking to build on his form as he targets a return to the Ryder Cup team in Rome.

Billy Horschel will tee it up in Europe for the second time in three weeks and will do so having played a key role in the United States Presidents Cup victory at Quail Hollow. The American formed an electric partnership with Max Homa as team USA resisted a spirited fightback to win the Presidents Cup.

The name on the lips of many this week is two-time Dunhill Links champion Tyrrell Hatton. The Englishman won by four in 2016 and successfully defended his title with a convincing three-shot victory. He looked set to make it a hattrick in 2018 but finished second having held the overnight lead. It was a similar story last year, with the 30-year-old leading the way at the halfway stage before being pipped by Danny Willett.

Willett is looking to become the first player since Hatton to defend the title, fresh from an agonising second place finish at the Fortinet Championship. The Englishman three-putted for bogey from inside 4 feet on the final green at Silverado Resort after Max Homa chipped in for birdie moments earlier. The unsuspected two-shot swing handed the American victory in the PGA Tour season opener in California.

Former Masters champion and LIV Golf defector Patrick Reed was set to tee it up this week but was forced to withdraw after reportedly developing a bad back caused by an unsupportive mattress at last week's French Open. Fellow LIV Golf member Talor Gooch will be joined by 2010 Open champion Louis Oosthuizen and fellow South Africans Charl Schwartzel, Shaun Norris and Branden Grace.

Richard Bland, Laurie Canter, Peter Uihlein and Jed Morgan round out the final LIV players that will compete at three of the best golf courses in Scotland.

The approach to the green on the 18th hole at The Old Course, St Andrews

2022 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN

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Position	Prize Money
1	$800,000
2	$533,330
3	$300,480
4	$240,000
5	$203,520
6	$168,000
7	$144,000
8	$120,000
9	$107,520
10	$96,000
11	$88,320
12	$82,560
13	$77,280
14	$73,440
15	$70,560
16	$67,680
17	$64,800
18	$61,920
19	$59,520
20	$57,600
21	$55,680
22	$54,240
23	$52,800
24	$51,360
25	$49,920
26	$48,480
27	$47,040
28	$45,600
29	$44,160
30	$42,720
31	$41,280
32	$39,840
33	$38,400
34	$36,960
35	$36,000
36	$35,040
37	$34,080
38	$33,120
39	$32,160
40	$31,200
41	$30,240
42	$29,280
43	$28,320
44	$27,360
45	$26,400
46	$25,440
47	$24,480
48	$23,520
49	$22,560
50	$21,600
51	$20,640
52	$19,680
53	$18,720
54	$17,760
55	$16,800
56	$15,840
57	$14,880
58	$14,400
59	$13,920
60	$13,440

WHO WON THE 2021 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP?

2016 Masters champion Danny Willett secured victory at the 2021 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The Englishman, who was celebrating his 34th birthday, raced to a three-shot lead ahead of the final round before a closing 68 to win by two from Tyrrell Hatton and Joakim Lagergren of Sweden.

WHERE IS THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP BEING PLAYED?

The Alfred Dunhill Links will be contested at three venues - the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

James joined Golf Monthly having previously written for other digital outlets. He is obsessed with all areas of the game – from tournament golf, to history, equipment, technique and travel. He is also an avid collector of memorabilia; with items from the likes of Bobby Jones, Tiger Woods, Francis Ouimet, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Adam Scott and Ernie Els. As well as writing for Golf Monthly, James’ golfing highlight is fist bumping Phil Mickelson on his way to winning the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2013. James grew up on the east coast of England and is the third generation of his golfing family. He now resides in Leeds and is a member of Cobble Hall Golf Club with a handicap index of 1.7. His favourite films are The Legend of Bagger Vance and Tin Cup.

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2022 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP FIELD

2022 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP PRIZE MONEY BREAKDOWN

WHO WON THE 2021 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP?

WHERE IS THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP BEING PLAYED?