YORK golf star Simon Dyson will hope to be finishing where he starts out today.

Dyson opens his Alfred Dunhill Links Championship bid at St Andrews, where the final fourth round - featuring the top 60-plus players - will compete for the final honours in the £5 million tournament on Sunday.

A winner of the feted title in 2009, Dyson opens his bid alongside Scotland's Marc Warren at St Andrews today before being partnered by Pablo Larrazabal of Spain at Carnoustie tomorrow and then in tandem with South African Oliver Bekker at the Kingbarns course on Saturday.

It is then that the cut is made and Dyson will be keen to emulate his stunning display of five years ago when he collected a then winner's cheque of more than £500,000.

However, the 36-year-old, who is currently at 100th in the world rankings, will be back only after a two week's absence caused by a back spasm, which forced his withdrawal from the Handa Wales Open, and last week's Ryder Cup conquest of the USA by Europe.

Before that premature exit at Celtic Manor, Dyson had posted a second place in the KLM Open, which he had won three times previously, for what was his third top-five finish and sixth top-ten placing this season.