2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Across Scotland's Famous Links
The 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship returns from October 1 through October 4 for one of the most distinctive weeks on the DP World Tour. The championship is played across the Old Course at St Andrews, the Championship Course at Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links, before the traditional Sunday finish at the Home of Golf.
Two competitions run side by side. The professional field plays a 72-hole individual stroke-play championship, while each professional is also paired with an amateur in the team event. Every pairing rotates through the three courses over the opening rounds, creating a mix of elite tournament golf, celebrity participation, changing weather, and three very different links tests.
This page is the main CaddyBytes Alfred Dunhill Links Championship hub for live scoring, professional and team field developments, course-rotation updates, Old Course analysis, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns strategy, highlights, Robert MacIntyre defending-champion coverage, tournament history, and round-by-round reporting from Scotland.
🏌️ Scotland's Three-Course Rotation St Andrews • Carnoustie • Kingsbarns • Classic Links Golf
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is the only annual DP World Tour event built around a three-course links rotation. Players must adjust to changing wind, firm turf, deep bunkers, burns, shared greens, exposed coastal holes, strategic angles, and dramatically different scoring conditions from one venue to the next.
Old Course at St Andrews
The Home of Golf is shaped by wide shared fairways, enormous double greens, deep bunkers, strategic angles, the Swilken Burn, the Road Hole, and the Valley of Sin. It can be generous in calm weather but becomes a completely different test when the wind changes direction or strengthens.
Carnoustie Championship Course
- Long, heavily bunkered and traditionally the sternest of the three courses
- Barry Burn creates major decisions through the closing stretch
- Hogan's Alley, deep fairway bunkers and demanding approach shots reward precise ball-striking
- Par protection matters more here than at the other two venues
Kingsbarns Golf Links
- Modern coastal links designed by Kyle Phillips with Mark Parsinen
- Wide visual corridors and large targets balanced by exposed wind and risk-reward decisions
- Dramatic seaside holes reward confident driving and aggressive iron play
- Often the most accessible scoring course when weather conditions are favorable
What Matters Most
- Wind control because scoring can change quickly between courses and tee-time waves
- Links creativity to use the ground, control trajectory and recover from awkward lies
- Bunker avoidance across three layouts where deep hazards can immediately cost shots
- Course rotation management because players must compare scores made under different conditions
Player-Fit Keys
- Experienced links players comfortable shaping shots and changing trajectories
- Strong approach players who can control distance in crosswinds and firm conditions
- Creative short-game players capable of putting, bumping or pitching from tight turf
- Patient competitors who can handle slow pro-am rounds and changing momentum
Winning Formula
- Take advantage of Kingsbarns and favorable Old Course scoring opportunities
- Limit damage at Carnoustie and around the Old Course's famous hazards
- Remain adaptable as weather, course assignment and tee times change
- Reach Sunday within range, then handle the pressure of the final round at St Andrews
Alfred Dunhill Links
2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Tournament Details
Date: October 1-4, 2026
Locations: St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, Scotland
Format: 72-hole professional and pro-am team championships
Prize Fund: US$5 million
168 professionals and 168 amateurs rotate across three links courses.
Tournament Details Live News Feed Official Tournament PageAlfred Dunhill Links Championship Coverage
2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
DP World Tour Professional & Team Event
St Andrews • Carnoustie • Kingsbarns
US$5 million prize fund and 5,000 Race to Dubai points
Three-course rotation with final round at the Old Course
CaddyBytes hub for scoring, news, pro-am updates, highlights and course coverage
Old Course at St Andrews
The Home of Golf
Traditional Sunday Championship Venue
Wide shared fairways, double greens and strategic angles
Swilken Burn, Road Hole bunker and Valley of Sin define the finish
Wind direction can completely change the preferred route around the course
Defending Champion: Robert MacIntyre
2025 Professional Champion
Winning Score: 18-Under
Won the weather-shortened 54-hole championship in 2025
Finished four strokes ahead of Tyrrell Hatton
Became the first Scottish professional winner since Colin Montgomerie in 2005
Links Course-Fit Keys
Wind, Trajectory & Creativity
Three Courses, Three Different Tests
Control ball flight and use the ground in changing wind
Avoid deep bunkers, burns and costly short-sided misses
Adjust strategy quickly between St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns
Professional Field & Pro-Am Watch
168 Professionals and 168 Amateurs
Two Championships Running Together
Each professional is paired with one amateur for the team competition
Celebrity, sports, business and entertainment figures add to the event's identity
Final entries, withdrawals, tee times, course assignments and pairings will be tracked through the news page
Format & Cut
Three-Course Rotation
Professional Stroke Play and Team Better-Ball Scoring
Each pairing plays all three courses during the first three rounds
Leading 60 professionals and ties advance to the final professional round
Leading 20 teams qualify for the final team round on the Old Course
Team Championship
Professional-Amateur Partnerships
Lower Net Score Counts on Every Hole
Amateurs receive a tournament handicap allowance
The lower net score between professional and amateur counts for the team
Harrison Crowe and Cian Foley won the 2025 Team Championship
Tournament News & Highlights
Scotland Coverage
Field, Pairings, Weather, Video and Course Rotation
Professional field notes, amateur partners, course assignments, tee times, weather and daily scoring movement
Highlights and video recaps from each competition round
Alfred Dunhill Links History
Championship Since 2001
Annual Celebration of Links Golf
Paul Lawrie won the inaugural championship at St Andrews
Tyrrell Hatton owns a record three professional titles
Past champions include Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Branden Grace, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ryan Fox and Robert MacIntyre
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Story
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship began in 2001 as the successor to the Alfred Dunhill Cup, which had brought international team golf to St Andrews from 1985 through 2000. The modern championship combines a world-class DP World Tour field with an amateur team event and has become one of the game's most recognizable annual celebrations of links golf.
Robert MacIntyre won the 2025 professional title at 18-under after Storm Amy forced the championship to be shortened to 54 holes. He finished four strokes ahead of defending champion Tyrrell Hatton, while Harrison Crowe and Cian Foley captured the team competition.
The standard championship format uses all three courses over the first three rounds, then returns the qualifying professionals and teams to the Old Course for the final round. The combination of elite competition, famous amateurs, unpredictable weather, historic venues and St Andrews' closing amphitheater gives the tournament an identity unlike any other DP World Tour week.
Use the hub buttons above to jump directly to live scoring, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship news feed, field and pro-am storylines, highlights, three-course insight, defending-champion coverage, format details, and tournament history.