Michael Stewart shares Alfred Dunhill Links lead after opening 65 at Carnoustie

Michael Stewart, ranked 979th in the world, took a share of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship lead on Thursday, 1 October, with an opening 65 at Carnoustie in Scotland. Jack Buchanan matched his seven-under score at Kingsbarns, leaving the pair one stroke clear after the first round.

The result put Stewart, 36, at the top of a field that includes Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooks Koepka and defending champion Robert MacIntyre. It is an opening-round lead, with the remaining rounds still to decide the championship.

How Michael Stewart reached seven under at Carnoustie

Stewart’s round changed sharply after the turn. BBC Sport reported that he made just one birdie on the front nine before eagling the par-five 12th. He then played the five holes from the 12th through the 16th in six under par. The published scores show a front nine of 35 and a back nine of 30, giving him his 65.

Stewart told BBC Sport that he had played well throughout the day, hitting plenty of fairways and greens before his putting improved on the back nine. ‘I grew up on a links course,’ he said, adding that his putter ‘got hot’ after the turn. His familiarity with links golf was part of his account of the round, though the score gives him no more than a share of the lead at this stage.

Stewart has had limited starts on the main European circuit: BBC Sport said he had played five events there, most recently in 2023. EFE reporting published by AS said he had won twice on Scotland’s Tartan Pro Tour earlier this year, at Montrose and Portlethen. The Duddingston runner-up finish and the two wins provide context for his arrival, while Thursday’s 65 is his result in this field.

Who is chasing Stewart and Buchanan?

MJ Daffue and Casey Jarvis each opened with 66 to sit one stroke behind the co-leaders. Fitzpatrick shot 68 at Carnoustie, leaving him three back after a French Open victory the previous week, according to BBC Sport. The opening scores place several established names within reach without settling how the rest of the tournament will unfold.

Koepka posted 69 at Carnoustie, four strokes behind the leaders. Tommy Fleetwood shot 70, five back. MacIntyre, the defending champion, signed for 71 at Carnoustie and was six shots behind Stewart and Buchanan after the first round. Those gaps reflect only Thursday’s scores across a competition played on three courses.

The Dunhill Links uses Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the Old Course at St Andrews. Stewart and Fitzpatrick played Carnoustie on Thursday, while Buchanan and Daffue played Kingsbarns, according to the published scores. EFE’s report said the championship also has a separate team competition pairing professionals with amateur players, alongside the individual professional event.

MacIntyre’s drone complaint and other first-round developments

MacIntyre’s round also drew attention for his complaint about a drone above the eighth hole. BBC Sport reported that he said he had raised the drone with a rules official twice before playing his shot. Officials spoke to him after he lost his temper. His first-round score remained a 71, one under par.

Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter also returned to DP World Tour competition for the first time since January 2023, according to BBC Sport. Westwood opened with a one-under 71 and Poulter with an even-par 72. Their returns were part of a day in which Stewart and Buchanan, rather than the better-known entrants, finished at the top of the individual leaderboard.