Just a week ago, the world saw Hidalgo Angel claim the title of champion in Madrid. The week before witnessed Billy Horschel doing the same. Fast forward to the present, and the DP World Tour now moves on to Scotland, where it will look to crown the next champion on the European circuit, at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Excited yet? Well, you should be. The iconic event will be taking place over three courses in Scotland and boasts equally enticing rewards for the winner of the same. Yes, you read that right! The tournament will offer a cut from the whopping €5 million ($5,569,789.46) prize fund alongside 5000 Race to Dubai points and 1500 Ryder Cup points to the champion! No wonder there is a strong line-up to claim the benefits!

Top contenders for the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship

A field of 168 golfers will tee off at the 2024 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship which will kick off on October 3, Thursday to October 6, Sunday. As per the official field set aside by the DP World Tour event, the athletes will include those eligible from several categories including winners of each 2024 Global Swing Rankings, Race to Dubai Rankings, majors, and those from professional tournament invitations, among others. But who among them will lift the trophy?

1. Matt Fitzpatrick: Dubbed the defending champion for the event, the 30-year-old clinched a win at the 2023 edition by carding a 19-under 197 over the three days of play. But 2024 hasn’t been that good to him. The reason? Aside from the DP World Tour win he carded last year, the Englishman boasts three top-10 finishes in the year 2024, all of which came on the PGA Tour. Regardless, Fitzpatrick would be hoping to make a comeback at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which helped him clinch his 9th European Tour win.

2. Rory McIlroy: Quite possibly the unluckiest golfer in the sport right now. ‘Unfortunate’ in the sense that he finished four times in the runner-up place this year, on both the European circuit and the PGA Tour. But do note that he also boasts six other top-10 placements, two of which are victories at the Wells Fargo Championship and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Moreover, when it comes to the Race to Dubai Rankings, he has once again cemented his place on the top spot with a whopping 4,486.43 points from 9 events. Impressive, is it not?

3. Brooks Koepka: The LIV Golf Pro will be teeing it off at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship owing to the professional tournament invitation that was extended to him. You might wonder how he makes the list. Even though his 2024 major run seems lacking, the golfer has been impressive on the PIF-funded League, all the while carding his fourth and fifth wins on the circuit. Interestingly, that makes the 34-year-old the most successful athlete in the league. And the golfers in the field will have to look out for him, for he had expressed excitement in teeing off at the tourney. “Always good to be back at my favorite course in the world #DunhillLinks,” he wrote on his Instagram handle.

4.  Jon Rahm: You may call him the 2023 Masters Champ, or even ‘Rahmbo’. But this year, he will be more renowned for claiming the title of the 2024 LIV Golf Individual Champion. Naturally so, since he managed to top the leaderboard by carding a total of 235.17 points. How, you ask? Well, he did so by finishing inside the top 10 in every tournament he teed off in while clinching two wins, in the U.K., and Chicago. It would be a really poor decision to underestimate the Spanish athlete in the upcoming tournament.

5. Tyrrell Hatton: Sure he is Rahm’s teammate, and helped his team Legion XIII claim the fourth spot in Dallas. But, the 32-year-old himself boasts quite an impressive record in the Middle Eastern League. Although he started dishing out his best late in the season, the Englishman managed to claim a total of seven top-10 placements, three of which were podium finishes, including a win. Suffice it to say, the golfer will look to claim another victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, which takes place over three iconic courses.

The three golf courses for the upcoming DP World Tour event

The ‘Back 9’ event on the DP World Tour will be played over three courses, namely the Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links, all of which are par-72 layouts. Although entry for the fans into the venues will be provided free of cost for the first two days, the final day of play, which will take place at the Old Course in St. Andrews, will have to be paid for.

The excitement is sure to reach an all-time high as the race heats up for the field at the ‘Back 9’ event that offers increased points as well as a chance to qualify for the playoffs. What’s more, with such a strong field set to tee up in Scotland, the competitiveness is nothing but confirmed. What about you? Do you feel one of the above golfers will win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, or is there someone else in mind?