Lightning start helps Dyson step up to the big time

DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP:SIMON DYSON finally leapt into the big time on the European Tour yesterday, and did it with the round of his life. After two wins in Holland and one in Indonesia since he turned professional a decade ago, the 31-year-old's superb, closing 66 swept him to victory in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.

Full of jealousy when his great friend Nick Dougherty took the same title two years ago, Dyson collected the €540,440 first prize by three strokes from Rory McIlroy and Oliver Wilson.

It takes the York golfer, who birdied six of the first seven holes, top of Europe’s Ryder Cup points table, into the top 10 on this season’s money list and into the world’s top 50 for the first time. He began the week 92nd.

In August, his second Dutch win came with a course-record closing 63, but, after taking charge with his blistering start and then carefully avoiding disaster, Dyson revised his opinion about the best round of his career.

“There’s no way this can’t be it,” he said. “This is like our fifth major, a massive tournament at the home of golf, and I’ve shot 66 to win it.

“I’m absolutely buzzing. Darren Clarke has just said to me, ‘Take your time and enjoy it – it does not get any better than winning at St Andrews’.

“My parents always come up (to the tournament) but couldn’t make it this year. They’re never coming back!”

For Wilson, it was an eighth runners-up finish on the circuit with not one victory to his name as yet, but he could not feel disappointed about this one as he shot 65 after starting the day 14th.

McIlroy, only one behind Luke Donald overnight, had dearly wanted to win playing alongside his father, Gerry, on his 50th birthday in the celebrity pro-am, but he managed “only” a 69.

That was still good enough to take the 20-year-old above injured pair Martin Kaymer and Paul Casey into top spot on the Race to Dubai standings, but he knew the day belonged to Dyson.

“After nine I thought I had a really good chance,” McIlroy said, “but Simon played great, so hats off to him.

“I wanted better but second is okay. I wish I had played better for my dad, but I still haven’t shot in the 70s at St Andrews, which is nice.”

Especially with the British Open at the course next summer, he might have added.

Dyson knew it could be a special day from his second shot, a pitch to three feet that brought him level with Donald, who with a 73 fell all the way back to seventh and still has not won for three-and-a-half years.

By the eighth tee, Dyson was already four clear, and although McIlroy did cut it back to two by turning in 32 to the winner’s 30, that was as close as it got.

Dyson added another birdie on the 12th and could afford to bogey the Road Hole 17th.

McIlroy ruined his chances of winning by bogeying the 12th, 16th and 17th. But his birdie on the last was huge for the money list battle.

Wilson was cursing not finishing one ahead of him, though, after missing a three-foot birdie putt on the last when he was distracted by someone assembling the presentation area behind the green.

“I heard him shaking a can before I went to hit it, but then on my backstroke he shook it as loud as he could,” he said.

“I’m not very happy at the moment. I’d not missed one that short all week, but I guess it’s another lesson.

“I played with Simon last week (at the Vivendi Trophy) and this week (for three rounds), and he has not really missed a shot.

“He’s a great lad, upbeat all the time, and has the perfect attitude for golf.

“He’s also great in the team room, and I’d love to partner him in the Ryder Cup. I think he’ll be great there.”

There is a long way to go before that happens – for both of them – but Dyson has taken a mighty leap towards a debut against the Americans.