It’s all too fitting that a DP World Tour event featuring LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is being shortened to 54 holes.
The announcement was made Sunday that, due to water-logged courses, the final round of the 2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship would be pushed to Monday, Oct. 9, and that the pro-am event would be reduced to 54 holes, with the top 30 teams and ties making the 36-hole cut. Matt Fitzpatrick currently leads at 13 under, with Grant Forrest and Nacho Elvira T-2 at 12 under.
Weather has been an issue all week for the unique event played annually at Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St. Andrews, three of the best golf courses in Scotland. The tour reported that about 3.11 inches of rain had fallen since the end of play Friday.
79mm of rain has fallen since end of play on Friday🌧️#dunhilllinks pic.twitter.com/U9cHQAUOja
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) October 8, 2023
Aside from its trio of stellar hosts, the event made headlines early last week when it was reported that Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s lucrative Public Investment Fund (PIF), would play the pro-am under the pseudonym Andrew Waterman. Not only that, the 53-year-old is alongside LIV Golf’s Peter Uihlein (T-10) and was in the same group as R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers. Fellow LIV players Laurie Canter (T-16), Louis Oosthuizen (T-40) and Talor Gooch (72) are also in the field as non-members playing on sponsor invites.
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
A general view across the 18th hole of the Swilcan Bridge and rising water levels in…
A general view across the 18th hole of the Swilcan Bridge and rising water levels in the burn, during rainfall, as play is abandoned during Day Four of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course St. Andrews on October 08, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
A view of the flooded first hole fairway in front of The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse,…
A view of the flooded first hole fairway in front of The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, during rainfall ahead of Round Three on during Day Four of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course St. Andrews on October 08, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
A display on course reads “play has been abandoned for the day, round 3 will commence…
A display on course reads “play has been abandoned for the day, round 3 will commence on Sunday 8th October starting at 9am” following rainfall during Day Three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Carnoustie Golf Links on October 07, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Members of the public walk with an umbrella on The Links road, with a view of…
Members of the public walk with an umbrella on The Links road, with a view of The Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, ahead of Round Three during Day Four of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course St. Andrews on October 08, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Vehicles attempt to maneuver through flooded roads between the Old Course St. Andrews and Kingsbarns Golf…
Vehicles attempt to maneuver through flooded roads between the Old Course St. Andrews and Kingsbarns Golf Links ahead of Round Three, during Day Four, of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on October 08, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
2023 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship
Vehicles attempt to maneuver through flooded roads between the Old Course St. Andrews and Kingsbarns Golf…
Vehicles attempt to maneuver through flooded roads between the Old Course St. Andrews and Kingsbarns Golf Links ahead of Round Three, during Day Four, of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on October 08, 2023 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by Octavio Passos/Getty Images)
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