Defending champion Tyrrell Hatton moves five clear at Dunhill Links
Sunday 8 October 2017 19:54, UK
Tyrrell Hatton is closing in on Alfred Dunhill Links Championship history as he opened up a five-shot lead ahead of the final round at St Andrews.
Hatton is on the brink of becoming the first player in the tournament's history to successfully defend his title, pulling clear of the chasing pack after carding a second blemish-free 65 in as many days.
The Englishman, beginning tied for the lead alongside Tommy Fleetwood, fired seven birdies in a flawless display at Kingsbarns to get to 18 under and build a healthy cushion over Gregory Bourdy.
British Masters champion Paul Dunne sits in third spot on 11 under ahead of Luke Donald and Ross Fisher, while world No 6 Rory McIlroy posted a four-under 68 to move inside the cut line.
"Last year this event was a fantastic moment for me," Hatton said. "It's great to be back and I'm enjoying my first defence.
"Last year was a new experience for me going out leading a tournament and I managed to do a really good job. Made myself very difficult to catch and hopefully I can do that again tomorrow.
"To win at the home of golf once is incredible but to do it again and defend would be a dream come true."
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Beginning on the back nine, Hatton birdied three of his first five holes before adding a close-range gain at the first and getting up-and-down from the bunker for another at the third.
Hatton briefly moved six clear with a birdie at the fourth, only for Bourdy - playing at Carnoustie - to close the gap with four consecutive gains from the third.
Bourdy closed a six-under 66 with a run of pars, as Hatton picked up a shot at Kingsbarns' par-five ninth to extend his lead and bolster his hopes of a second European Tour title.
Dunne posted a two-under 70 at Kingsbarns, where Donald birdied four of his last six holes and Fisher played his last seven holes in six under to both move into a share of fourth.
Overnight joint-leader Fleetwood slipped 11 strokes off the pace after stuttering to a four-over 74, as McIlroy mixed eight birdies with two bogeys and a double-bogey in his final scheduled event of the year.
Watch the final round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship live on Sunday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf.
