MERONK WINS ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP AT ST ANDREWS

Adrian Meronk won the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, finishing two shots ahead of Casey Jarvis after trailing him by four shots heading into the final round at St Andrews. Jarvis, from South Africa, had led after the third round at the Carnoustie Championship Course, two shots clear of Meronk and Matthew Jordan, who shared second place. Defending champion Robert MacIntyre sat tied for eighth after the third round, having missed the cut in his two previous tournaments before this event. Meronk's victory secures the top prize from the tournament's $5 million purse.

The winner's cheque is worth $800,000, with $533,330 going to the runner-up and $300,480 for third place, according to the published prize fund. Money is paid out to all 60 players who made the cut, with the player finishing last in that group receiving $13,440. Alongside the individual event, every professional is paired with an amateur partner for a separate best-ball team competition held at the same time. A further $200,000 from the overall purse is set aside for that team event, shared among the professionals on the top 20 placed teams, with the winning professional receiving $50,000. Amateur partners compete for the team title but do not receive any prize money.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was first held in 2001, replacing the previously staged Alfred Dunhill Cup. Paul Lawrie, who had won the 1999 Open Championship, took the tournament's first title. The event's $5 million prize fund has remained unchanged since that inaugural edition, almost 25 years ago. Meronk's win follows his four-shot deficit at the start of the final round, after Jarvis had set the pace for much of the week at Carnoustie.