Scottish duo battling to keep DP World Tour cards off to solid start in Dunhill Links

Young sits 148th in the Race to Dubai and Walker is 125th on the season-long points list, with the top 100 after the Genesis Championship in Korea next month hanging on to their cards for the 2027 campaign.

In his opening round in this week’s $5 million event, Young handed himself a timely boost by carding a three-under-par 69 at St Andrews, mixing six birdies with three bogeys on the Old Course.

The effort left the Perth man sitting in a tie for 24th along with the likes of five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, who was in action at Carnoustie, at the end of the opening day.

Young heads to Carnoustie on Friday for his second round before teeing up on Saturday at Kingsbarns, where he is attached and knows the course like the back of his hand through working as a caddie to fund his amateur career.

Also opening his week at St Andrews, Walker signed for a two-under 70, dropping a shot at the second but picking up birdies at the fifth, 14th and 18th to sit joint-44th.

Cameron Adam, another Scot battling to hand on to a card, had to settle for a level-par 72 on the Old Course, where he won the Links Trophy last year as an amateur.

The left-hander had one birdie and eight pars going out before starting for home with two more pars only for his round to become a bit ragged thereafter, mixing three bogeys with two birdies over the closing stretch.

Calum Hill, the leading Scot in the Race to Dubai, opened with a bogey-free 68 at St Andrews, where Nexo champion Scott Jamieson had a 69 after finishing bogey-bogey.

In the team event, Young and his amateur partner Jim Davidson, an Aberdeen-born entrepreneur who now lives in California, sit joint-third on 11 under.

The early pace was set on 12 under by South African pro MJ Daffue playing with Paul Harris and Spaniard Ivan Cantero alongside Thomas Jermoluk.