For one whirlwind week in July Paul Dunne was back page news across the world, but the Irishman never seemed to betray any inkling of anxiety or panic. This European Tour Rookie is a wise head on young shoulders.
The 23 year old launched himself into the public eye at The Open Championship when, as an amateur, he shared the lead heading into the final day at St Andrews Old Course before falling back as Zach Johnson stormed to victory in Scotland.
This year has been what I hoped for and so much more
Paul Dunne and Louis Oosthuizen at The Open Championship
It was a story which captured the imagination of sports fans across the globe but the new-found fame never seemed to faze the softy-spoken player from Greystones, near the Irish capital of Dublin.
That week in the limelight earned him widespread recognition but Dunne was never under any illusion that the hard road to the top began thereafter.
He certainly traversed a treacherous path to The European Tour and proved his real fighting qualities when it mattered most as he battled his way through all three stages of Qualifying School – including a six-hole play-off at Second Stage – to earn a maiden campaign on The Race to Dubai.
It was a fitting end to a rollercoaster ride of a season for a man who had just five days at his Irish home in the space of two months as he chased his European Tour dreams.
“As cliché as it is, this year has been what I hoped for and so much more,” said the former Walker Cup player who carded a level par opening round on his second appearance of The 2016 Race to Dubai season at the Australia PGA Championship. “Hopefully now I can finish the year off the right way.
“I would love to have had a week off after Q-School but I didn’t. I figure there’s enough time to rest after these events, I’d rather play than be at home. I knew if I took the week off, after two days I’d be wishing I was playing.”
Dunne at Qualifying School Final Stage
Trending topics
#TheOpen
Dunne played with Louis Oosthuizen in both of the final two rounds at St Andrews Old Course
#Consistency
In a bizarre coincidence, Dunne had the exact same cumulative finishing score at all three stages of Qualifying School - 10 under par
#SportInTheBlood
Sport is in the blood for Dunne, whose brother David is a performance nutritionist with Harlequins Rugby, Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club and British Canoe
Sporting Prodigy
Much like 2014 Ryder Cup-winning Captain Paul McGinley, Dunne played Irish Gaelic Games for his home county as a youth – incidentally, he played left-footed - also excelling at various other sports including tennis before focusing all his attention on golf.
Paul McGinley playing Gaelic Football, one of the national sports of Ireland, which Dunne also played to county level
Emerald Guile
It may be no coincidence that Dunne is the first of a number of promising young up-and-coming Irish players to emerge, players who were just beginning to flourish in the amateur ranks as many of their countrymen were dominating the world game.
“Obviously Ireland is a very proud sporting nation so we look more towards home-grown stars,” he said. “Padraig Harrington was always a great role model for me growing up and then when I went to college, Graeme McDowell was similar because he went to the same college.
“Graeme had some records that he set at UAB that I wanted to emulate, then watching Harrington win the Majors while I was just making national teams, and then Shane Lowry coming up through the GUI system and do what he’s done, it has been brilliant.
“To see other people do it and know it can be done, it just makes you put your head down and work hard.
“I knew Shane as an amateur, Graeme I met in college a few times and I played some practice rounds with him in the last couple of years, and Harrington I met for the first time at the Dunhill, and they’ve all been very good to me.
Padraig Harrington, who was winning his Majors just as Dunne was coming through the national amateur system
“They’ve offered their advice and been really open with their time. Paul McGinley has been really good too, I met him at the Dunhill and spent a bit of time with him. He’s called me a few times just to have a chat, so everyone looks out for you while looking out for themselves too, so it’s great to know that there are people there.”
Judging by his performances this year, Dunne will not require much help to negotiate his way to the highest echelons of the game and, who knows, perhaps he will be the one inspiring the next generation of Irish golfers.
