Both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have criticized LIV Golf for disrupting age-old traditions and formats in golf. Players joining the new league faced bans and fines on both sides. But some uncertain circumstances have compelled the DP World Tour to follow the LIV Golf format at the currently ongoing Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Journalist Matt Vincenzi took it to X to update the same. “Alfred Dunhill Links: Round 2 to restart at 08:00 local time. Round 3 will be a shotgun start at all 3 courses at 12:30,” the post read.

Hosted at three stunning links layouts at the Old Course, Kingsbarns, and Carnoustie in Scotland, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was affected by stormy weather. The UK Met Office issued a warning of winds of up to 80mph for Friday evening and Saturday morning. The play was initiated at regular time, but as the first round was about to finish, the rain started pouring down, causing some disruption. And reports are that the 2nd round will start at 08:00 local time, while round 3 will adopt LIV Golf’s shotgun start and begin at 12:30.

The PGA Tour and the DP World Tour use the traditional format, where groups start at holes 1 and 10 based on tee times. On the contrary, LIV Golf employs a shotgun start across all its tournaments. With this format, all 18 participating groups start simultaneously, one per hole. This fast-paced approach reduces the duration of the game, which is exactly what the DP World Tour is aiming for with the shotgun start for round 3.

Before the rains postponed round 2 play, Richard Sterne and home favorite Robert MacIntyre tied for first place with 12-under par at the end of round 1. Sterne posted a bogey-free 67 on the Old Course at St. Andrews just before the weather worsened. The 2x PGA Tour winner rose to the occasion with seven birdies and a solitary bogey, even in the worsening weather, to tie Sterne.

Speaking about playing the condition, Robert said, “I was having to try and fight the wind on certain holes and wasn’t comfortable. But I made some beautiful shots. Yeah, putted solidly in the wind.”

The Ryder Cup star reflected the challenges that high-speed winds brought. It was chilling, and he still managed to get only one bogey. He reminded fans of golfers like Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy, who have put up a strong front and overcame poor conditions. Rory’s famous 2023 Genesis Scottish Open win, despite the inclement weather, was remarkable. In fact, his bogey-free final round of 68 helped him clinch victory against Robert MacIntyre.

Besides the 2025 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, many other DP World Tour events were disrupted by rain in 2025. Let’s look at some of these events.

DP World Tour events affected by rain in 2025

The 2025 BMW Australian PGA Championship, which was held in November 2024, was one of the affected events. After 250mm of rainfall in the Brisbane area over seven days, the DP World Tour decided to suspend the second round. Jose Maria Zamora, the director of the championship, said, “We want to ensure we are able to bring this incredible tournament to the planned conclusion on Sunday, mindful of the logistics of playing next week’s ISPS HANDA Australian Open over two courses.” Besides suspending the second round, the DP World Tour reduced the play from the regular 72 holes to 54 holes.

Another event facing similar disruptions was the 2025 Porsche Singapore Classic. This time, it was the first round that was postponed, as heavy rains wiped out the entire day’s play. The greenkeeping staff worked hard to get the course ready for the next day, but the delay resulted in a reduction to three days’ play and 54 holes.

The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship faces similar consequences. The schedule has already been adjusted, and the LIV Golf format has been implemented to shorten the playing time. As the play starts, fans will see Ryder Cup stars, including Robert MacIntyre, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tommy Fleetwood, fight each other and other golfers to claim the first spot on the leaderboard.