After a flying start from LIV Golf's Tyrrell Hatton, it seemed that the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was going to be a tight finish with one-and-a-half rounds left to go... That was until a piece of magic from Nicolas Colsaerts.
Now, we know anything can happen but, at the time, Colsaerts led by just a single stroke despite three birdies in six holes. However, it was a shot of the year candidate at the par 5 16th that saw his lead go from one to four, as the Belgian made an albatross at Kingsbarns.
Going into the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the 41-year-old shared the lead alongside Cameron John, with Colsaerts shooting seven-under-par rounds at St Andrews' Old Course and Carnoustie.
Starting on the 10th, Colsaerts birdied the opening hole, then the 11th and par 5 14th. His lead, though, had been shrunk by Hatton, with the Englishman going on a birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie run that got him to within one of the lead.
Finding the fairway at the 16th at Kingsbarns, Colsaerts was in prime position to get his advantage further and, striking a long iron, it pitched on the front edge and ran up the slope behind the flag. From there, in true Links Golf style, it took the contour and rolled back towards the pin, eventually dropping in at dead weight for the rarest bird of them all.
Colsaerts celebrates as he walks off the 16th green following an albatross
The albatross is the second of the 2024 DP World Tour season, with Sam Jones sinking a 3-wood from 273 yards on the par-five 17th at the Soudal Open in Belguim. That shot was back in May and led to Jones finishing in a tie for seventh spot.
Along with Colsaerts' albatross, Lee Westwood also made an albatross at the 2003 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns. His shot, though, came at the ninth and, in what should be a good omen for Colsaerts, Westwood went on to win the event by one stroke from Ernie Els.
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