Alfred Dunhill Links Championship 2016: Thursday Leaderboard Scores, Highlights
Sweden's stars took a decisive grip on the leaderboard at the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on Thursday after Alex Noren's first-round score of 64 gave him a one-shot lead in Scotland.
The 34-year-old edged Ross Fisher into top spot following his late revival, while countryman Joakim Lagergren and England's Matt Ford shared third spot on six under par after the first day of the tournament.
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Both Noren and Lagergren impressed on the Championship Course at Carnoustie, while Ford excelled on Kingsbarns Golf Links, and Raphael Jacquelin, who is tied for fifth after shooting five under, played the Old Course at St Andrews.
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is one of the golf calendar's most anticipated events for the very reason that pros get to test themselves across three courses and the unpredictability that can often bring.
Read on for a breakdown of the leaderboard as its stands following the first day of the competition, complete with a recap of Thursday's opening round.
| 1 | Alex Noren | 64 | -8 |
| 2 | Ross Fisher | 65 | -7 |
| T3 | Joakim Lagergren | 66 | -6 |
| T3 | Matt Ford | 66 | -6 |
| T5 | Tyrrell Hatton | 67 | -5 |
| T5 | Callum Shinkwin | 67 | -5 |
| T5 | Raphael Jacquelin | 67 | -5 |
| T5 | Scott Jamieson | 67 | -5 |
| T9 | Rikard Karlberg | 68 | -4 |
| T9 | Jbe Kruger | 68 | -4 |
| T9 | Eddie Pepperell | 68 | -4 |
| T9 | Alejandro Canizares | 68 | -4 |
| T9 | Florian Fritsch | 68 | -4 |
Recap
Noren could hardly have hoped for a better start to his tournament after recording a clubhouse record score of eight under par on Thursday, where he failed to record a single bogey in what was a glittering display.
Carnoustie proved to be a hospitable course for the Swede on Day 1, as the official European Tour Twitter account pointed out:
Altogether, Noren struck eight birdies to go along with 10 pars, making for a positive day at the office, although he can only hope to maintain that momentum on two other courses on Friday and Saturday.
The Swede has already won two events on the tour this year, including the Scottish Open in Aberdeen for the biggest prize pot of his career. Golf tourism manager Alan Grant was quick to highlight the trend:
Lagergren sat in second for much of Thursday's outing, but a late surge from Fisher saw him draft in behind Noren by just a single shot after notching five birdies and an eagle at Kingsbarns.
Fisher's front nine was of particularly good quality over on the Fife Coast, and after teeing off later than Noren & Co., the Englishman's late rise paved the way for a promising fight at the top:
Ford also shone at Kingsbarns, while Jacquelin and Callum Shinkwin, each of whom ended Day 1 tied for fifth, impressed at St. Andrews Old Course, where they will return Sunday, provided they make it that far.
The celebrities were also out in fine number on Thursday, and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was one of the star names from outside the golf sphere seen dazzling on the greens:
Noren's fine start to this year's championship has laid the foundation for a strong title challenge, and he'll head to St. Andrews on Friday before making his way to Kingsbarns on Saturday in time to return to Carnoustie on Sunday.
He's hoping to become just the second Swede to win this championship after Robert Karlsson did so in 2008, when Fisher also finished as runner-up alongside Germany's Martin Kaymer.
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