Tyrell Hatton pulls off feat Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have never managed at St Andrews

Tyrrell Hatton shot an incredible 11-under-par 61 at St Andrews on Saturday, tying the Old Course record and giving him a one-shot lead heading into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship. Hatton’s record-equalling performance came as overnight leader Cameron John of Australia struggled at Carnoustie, dropping down the leaderboard after a two-over-par round of 74.

Hatton, a two-time winner of the Dunhill Links, is now poised for a third title in the event, which pairs professionals with celebrities and amateurs. His total score of 22-under-par through three rounds puts him on track to beat his 72-hole tournament record of 24-under-par set during his 2017 victory.

In his Saturday round, Hatton birdied the famous Road Hole 17th with a precision seven-iron that landed just three feet from the pin. He followed that with a 10-foot birdie on the 18th to cap off his round, which is his lowest ever on tour.

Reflecting on his achievement, Hatton said, “When I holed the putt on 17, I realized I had shot 10 under here before. I really wanted to birdie the last hole. That’s my lowest round on tour, and it was a special day.”

Nicolas Colsaerts, who trails Hatton by one shot, produced his own highlight with an albatross on the par-five 16th at Kingsbarns. His six-iron approach shot went past the pin, rolled up a slope, and then came back down into the hole. Colsaerts finished with a 64 at Kingsbarns to remain in contention.

Rory McIlroy seemed set for a remarkable round after posting seven birdies and a front-nine score of 29 at St Andrews. However, he faltered on the back nine, recording a 39 to finish with a 68. McIlroy, who is 12 shots behind Hatton, reflected on missed opportunities, particularly a five-foot birdie putt on the 10th.

Several other players also made impressive moves on Saturday. Tom Vaillant of France shot a 64 at Kingsbarns to sit in third place, three strokes behind Hatton. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen matched Hatton’s 61 but remained five shots back in fourth place.

The tournament has witnessed low scores in part due to the relatively easy pin placements, which are designed to make the event more manageable for amateur players. Romain Langasque shot a 61 at St Andrews in 2022, and Ross Fisher first set the Old Course record of 61 in 2017. For comparison, the lowest score in a British Open at St Andrews is 63.

Australia’s Cameron John, who had led after two rounds, found Carnoustie to be a tough test on Saturday and slipped down to joint 22nd at 12-under-par, alongside fellow Australian David Micheluzzi, who shot a 70.

As the tournament heads to its final day, some notable figures in the world of golf will be absent from the action. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, both saw their teams fail to make the cut for the final 20 pro-am teams that advance to Sunday.

With Hatton in top form and chasing both his third Dunhill Links title and his tournament scoring record, all eyes will be on him at St Andrews for the final round.