Adrian Meronk will take most of the plaudits for securing his DP World Tour future with victory at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
However, another story emerged from a more unlikely source – Scottish pro Michael Stewart.
The 36-year-old made just his fifth DP World Tour start at the event, and he produced a brilliant final round of 66 at the Old Course to finish tied for fourth alongside Tommy Fleetwood.
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That not only thrust him firmly into the spotlight after a 15-year professional career largely spent on developmental tours, but it also nearly doubled his career earnings in one go.
Stewart earned €197,170.81 (around $222,000) thanks to his performance, significantly more than he’d won in any other tournament of his career.
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The bulk of Stewart’s career has been spent on the now-defunct EuroPro Tour, the Tartan Pro Tour, the HotelPlanner Tour and the Mena Golf Tour.
Stewart had an excellent final round at the Old Course
(Image credit: Getty Images)
In his seven seasons on the EuroPro Tour, Stewart earned approximately $78,000, with his biggest one-time payout coming for his win at the 2022 Eagle Orchid Scottish Masters. On that occasion, his prize money came to £12,500 (around $16,000).
Stewart has also made 49 appearances on the HotelPlanner Tour, where his official earnings stand at €70,529.21 (about $80,000).
He also played on the Mena Golf Tour in the 2025/26 season, earning around $11,000.
Meanwhile, ahead of the 2026 Tartan Pro Tour season, Stewart’s career earnings on the circuit stood at around $40,000.
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The 2026 season has seen Stewart claim a good deal of success on the tour, with two wins (each of which earned him around $6,000), and far smaller sums coming his way courtesy of making the cut in all but two of his 12 other starts.
Before the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, Stewart also had one other significant payday, when he won $43,433 for his finish of T52 at the 2023 Open.
Michael Stewart earned over $40,000 at the 2023 Open
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Putting it all together, it is estimated Stewart had earned around $270,000 before almost doubling the total at the DP World Tour event.
It’s not just the money that will come in handy for Stewart. It also opens the door for more DP World Tour starts, including at next week’s Open de Espana.
With a purse of $3.75m, that would offer another opportunity for a big payday, although Stewart admitted that he’s likely to play on the Tartan Pro Tour at the season-ending Gleneagles Masters instead.
He said: “At the minute my decision is probably going to be – I think definitely, I’m going to have to go play the Tartan Tour next week.
“I don’t want to be left in limbo with obviously nowhere to play next season after a great season. That’s where my head is at right now. It’s obviously great to have a fantastic week this week. But I think the focus has to be on the Tartan Tour, I think.”
There’s a very good reason for that. Stewart is currently second on the Order of Merit. As long as he remains in the top two after next week’s event, he will earn a HotelPlanner Tour card.