Hatton ties St Andrews record to lead Dunhill Links but Monahan and Al-Rumayyan miss the cut

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — Tyrrell Hatton birdied his last two holes and tied the Old Course record at St. Andrews with an 11-under 61, giving him a one-shot lead over Nicolas Colsaerts going into the final round of the Dunhill Links Championship on Saturday.

Hatton already is a two-time winner of this European tour event that pairs professionals and amateurs from the celebrity and business world over three courses.

He is on pace to break his 72-hole tournament record from his 2017 victory. Hatton took a little off his 7-iron and hit it to 3 feet on the fabled Road Hole 17th for birdie and finished with a 10-foot birdie on the closing hole.

That put him at 22-under 194, low scoring that reflects the benign conditions at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Hatton holds the tournament record of 24-under par.

“I was just taking each hole as it came and just trying to make as many birdies as I could,” Hatton said. "I knew when I holed that putt on 17, I had actually shot 10 under here before. I really wanted to birdie the last. That’s actually my lowest round on tour, as well.

“Good putt and thankfully it went in. It was a cool day.”

Colsaerts had a cool moment of his own. He was at Kingsbarns and made an albatross 2 on the par-5 16th hole. His 6-iron bounded well past the pin up a slope, stopped and then rolled back down into the cup.

Colsaerts had a chance to tie Hatton for the lead until missing the fairway on the par-5 ninth, his finishing hole, leaving him unable to reach the green in two. His par gave him a 65, still well within range of winning for the first time in five years.

“Super special,” Colsaerts said. “An albatross is pretty rare.”

Rory McIlroy had reason to think he was headed for a special day when he went out in 29 at St. Andrews with seven birdies in nine holes. He drove the green on the par-4 10th and had just over 5 feet for another birdie.

McIlroy missed the putt and didn't make a birdie on the back nine. He was 10 shots worse — a 39 on the inward nine — for a 68 that left him 12 shots behind.

Romain Langasque had a 61 at St. Andrews in 2022, while Ross Fisher was the first to set the Old Course mark in 2017. The lowest at St. Andrews for the British Open is 63. The pins typically are easier for the Dunhill Links to not make it overly difficult for amateur players.

The power brokers in golf — PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia — won't be around for Sunday's final round at St. Andrews. Their teams finished well outside the 20 pro-am teams that advance.

PIF and the PGA Tour have been negotiating in the last 16 months on a deal to make the Saudi's sovereign wealth fund a minority investor in the commercial PGA Tour Enterprises, and possibly lead to repairing golf's fractured landscape.

Hatton is among 14 players from PIF-backed LIV Golf playing in the European tour event. They are banned from PGA Tour events.

Tom Vaillant of France had a 64 at Kingsbarns and was in third, three shots behind, while Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen had a 61 at Kingsbarns and was five behind.

Tommy Fleetwood was another shot back after a 67 that left him disappointed, mainly because the Old Course is susceptible to low scoring without much wind.

“When the Old Course is like this, if you hit it half-decent off the tee, you can give yourself a lot of chances,” Fleetwood said. “Five under, bogey-free, it sounds good. But it was a bit of a frustrating one. Fair play to the guys who shot amazing scores."

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Tommy Fleetwood and John Rahm during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Robert Perry/PA via AP)

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy tees off the 2nd, during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Robert Perry/PA via AP)

Louis Oosthuizen, left, Billy Horschel and Jay Monahan on the seventeenth green during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Robert Perry/PA via AP)

Yasir Al-Rumayyan on the seventeenth green during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Robert Perry/PA via AP)

England's Tyrrell Hatton tees off the 4th , during day three of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (Robert Perry/PA via AP)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray felt tingles in making sure to take in the moment during pregame warmups and the national anthem before making his first NHL start in nearly 21 months.

The 30-year-old, two-time Stanley Cup-winner felt an even bigger wave of emotion come over him once the final horn sounded and Murray was mobbed by his teammates following his 25-save performance in a 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night.

“A big release,” Murray said, in coming to the realization of the exhaustive work he’s put in spending much of the past year rehabbing following bilateral hip surgery.

“I think I took it as a challenge. It was a long road. A big mountain to climb,” Murray said. “But I kept this moment in the front of my mind on those days where it felt tough.”

Murray is best known for opening his career with Pittsburgh, where he won two Cups, including his rookie season in 2015-16 when he posted a 15-6 record in the playoffs.

The win on Friday was the 147th of Murray’s career, and first since a 33-save outing in Toronto’s 6-2 win over Florida on March 23, 2023. His last start came two days later in a loss at Carolina, while he also had a mop-up outing in a backup role a week later in a loss to Detroit.

Otherwise, Murray spent much of the past calendar year wondering if he’ll ever play another NHL game again, while regaining his form with the Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate. He closed last season going 1-2 in three starts, and had a 4-1-2 record, including a shutout, when Toronto called him up Friday, with Anthony Stolarz sidelined four to six weeks after having knee surgery.

Coach Craig Berube expressed confidence in Murray before the game by saying “he still has a fire inside.”

Afterward, Berube congratulated Murray for being cool and composed.

“I didn’t notice too much emotion or anything like that. He was pretty dialed in,” Berube said. “It’s a big commitment he made to want to get back and play in the NHL. Went through a lot and very happy for him.”

Murray made several key stops in the opening two periods, and got a boost from Toronto’s offense in building a 5-1 lead over the slumping Sabres, who dropped to 0-9-3 in their past 12.

Murray also got a few assists from the officials, who disallowed two goals.

Alex Tuch’s goal, which would have tied the game at 1 early in the first period, was disallowed when a linesman ruled Buffalo’s Jason Zucker high-sticked Toronto Chris Tanev entering the zone. Zucker was issued a double-minor penalty for drawing blood.

Owen Power then had a goal disallowed that would have cut the lead to 5-4 with 3:26 left. Toronto, however, successfully challenged Buffalo’s Sam Lafferty for goalie interference. Replays showed Lafferty’s skate hitting Murray’s stick just before Power scored on a shot from the right point.

“I had no chance,” Murray said on the second disallowed goal. “I was definitely hoping that they were going to make the right call. I think they did.”

Maple Leafs players praised Murray for his performance and resilience, knowing what the goalie has endured.

“Mentally to clock in every single day for that long, it’s unbelievable,” forward Max Domi said. “That’s stuff that you guys as media members and the fans don’t see, but we as players do. And I mean, it’s inspirational for us. We all look up to him and we’re super happy for him.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray, left, makes a save against Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Buffalo Sabres right wing Alex Tuch (89) controls the puck in front of Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray (30) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray (30) plays during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Matt Murray, right, celebrates with center Bobby McMann (74) and left wing Nicholas Robertson (89) after their win in an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. Toronto won 6-3. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)