ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 4, 2026

Michael Stewart

Quick Quotes (2)

Q. What a week, can you describe to us how you're feeling at the moment?

MICHAEL STEWART: Yeah, like it's hard to put into words. I was a little bit on autopilot at the end, the last three holes, especially. Amazing. Just delighted that I could sort of put up a good showcase of myself today.

Q. You didn't expect this, speaking to you throughout the week. What were your expectations every day? Did it start to increase every day? You can probably play golf at this level.

MICHAEL STEWART: A little bit. Yesterday, I felt a little tired the last six holes, finished really scrappy. And today, I just felt good, with the wind being strong at the Old Course, I thought everyone was going to struggle, but if you just stay patient and hole a couple putts -- or if you hit a wedge -- that's a massive stroke of luck.

Q. Tell us about that shot, 112 yards --

MICHAEL STEWART: Yeah, something like that. I can't think of it off the top of my head. About that, I just tried to hold a 50 up on the wind a little bit because I knew there was more space right of the flag than it looked and there's quite a big slope, slopes back towards the win. I just tried to get aggressive. I just thought, give it a go.

Q. How life-changing has this been for you, or can it be life-changing?

MICHAEL STEWART: I don't know yet.

Q. Your biggest cheque. I think you picked up 2.5 grand for finishing second at Duddingston this week. This is a little bit more than that. 2.5 grand is nothing to be snuffed after. This is probably going to be over 200,000 pounds and potential to play in Spain speak.

MICHAEL STEWART: I think right now in all honesty, my mind is definitely play the Tartan Tour. If I'm going there next week and worse case scenario, if someone overtakes me, at least I was there. But if I were go to Spain and miss the cut and somebody overtakes me -- I don't think that's what I want to do.

And I've played so well to put myself in position, as well, and there's so many good players behind me. Listen, one of -- I think it's maybe three or four guys that can catch me, but one of them plays well, look, they can win.

I think I'd be silly if I wasn't going to Gleneagles and to at least secure my HotelPlanner card. My goal at the start of the year, that was it.

Q. In terms of being a Tour member, that's going to be offered to you, as well.

MICHAEL STEWART: Listen, as far as I like to believe, you have to join or fulfill membership before you play, which I didn't do. I just thought, it's quite a lot of money and at the time I was like -- like I said, it was an invite. I just wanted to treat this week as I wanted to really enjoy it, which I did, and I played well.

But listen, it's all -- hindsight is a wonderful thing after the fact, isn't it. Who would say that if I did join the Tour, I may not have performed the way I performed. I don't regret it.

Q. So you have Gleneagles on Thursday?

MICHAEL STEWART: No, Tuesday.

Q. Seven days in a row, three at Duddingston, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, two at St Andrews. You have a rest day tomorrow?

MICHAEL STEWART: Yeah.

Q. And then Tuesday, Gleneagles?

MICHAEL STEWART: Part of me will probably think I need to do some work on my game. It's a totally different style of golf next week, as well. You're going to have to play really good golf around the PGA. I don't think the weather forecast looks that great to be honest. I'll have a rest day tomorrow. I'm driving through.

I'm playing a two o'clock practise round on Tuesday with a few of the boys, so I might just two eight or nine holes and call it a day, I think.

Q. How will you celebrate tonight?

MICHAEL STEWART: By going to bed early, seriously. I'm knackered. Like I said, I wasn't feeling great. Sunday, Monday, wasn't great at all. Managed to battle through. Yeah, I'm pretty tired now.

My wife drove up to see me and my mum and dad drove up as well. Grab some take away or something.

Q. You dreamt of a performance like this when you were a 16-year-old. How pleasing is it to do it as a 36-year-old?

MICHAEL STEWART: Yeah, I just think it solidifies the fact that you can compete. You can definitely compete at this style of golf.

What I was really, really pleased with coming down the stretch, I gave myself chances. It wasn't like once I holed that wedge shot, it would have been easy I feel like to sort of go into your Shell a little bit whereas I felt like I kept my foot down. Had a good chance on 14, really good chance on 15. 17, that back tee, it's so difficult to hit, and I actually had a terrible tee shot. I hit the ground before the ball and got seriously lucky.

Listen, 18 is 18. I left myself a little bit of a pull and it got in the wind and then where I was, I couldn't really bump it into it the bank to get it close, so I had to go high.

Q. You've played four rounds in an Open; is this the best four rounds of your life in your career?

MICHAEL STEWART: Yeah, without a doubt. The Open was amazing, but I felt really, I don't know, like disheartened after the Sunday of The Open. I felt like I threw away what could have been a very special weekend obviously. The year after was at Troon and I wanted to play that.

Yeah, this is amazing. It gives yourself a little bit more belief that you can go on and compete at this level but yeah, just keep working. I'm just delighted with the fact that, as Martin says, I'm 36 years old and I still haven't lost the desire to practise hard and perform, and when you can get on this stage, you can do it.