Dunne Fits Right in at Farmers

AP

PGA Tour newcomer Paul Dunne looked at ease in his firts outing carding a three-under-par 69 to finish round one three shots off the lead at the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.

Dunne, at the tournament thanks to a sponsor's invite, shot a sole bogey to sit in a 19-way tie for 15th which also included Patrick Reed and Phil Mickelson.

Offaly's Shane Lowry also made a solid start at Torrey Pines, going round in a one-under 71 

Americans Scott Brown and Andrew Loupe shared the lead as home players occupied the first seven places after the first round.

The duo were tied on six under par after both opened with rounds of 66 with Brown having eight birdies and two bogeys in his round.

Brown played the more difficult South Course whereas Loupe's opening round was on the North Course.

Brown said: "I hit it really well coming in, the last 11 holes. I made a couple of length putts and capitalised on the short ones.

"It's a hard golf course, if you're out of position you are immediately playing for par. Fortunately I drove it good and hit a lot of good iron shots today," Brown added in an interview on the PGA Tour website.

Loupe had two eagles, four birdies and two bogeys as he and Brown led fellow countrymen Billy Horschel, Patton Kizzire, Tom Hoge, Rob Hoppenheim and Harold Varner III by a single stroke.

A seven-way tie on five under par included Americans Gary Woodland, Brendan Steele, Scott Stallings, Matt Every and Chesson Hadley.

Also sharing eighth place were South Korea's KJ Choi and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama.

Defending champion Jason Day had gone into the tournament hoping to be competitive despite suffering from a virus but he ended the opening round tied forth 76th on even par in a group which also included England's Brian Davis.

English pair Greg Owen and Paul Casey both shot one over par rounds of 73 to be in a tie for 90th place.

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PGA Farmers is Dunne Deal

Paul Dunne is relishing the chance to take a big step towards his "overall goal" when he makes his PGA Tour debut at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday.

The Greystones hit the headlines last summer when he became the first amateur since 1927 to share the lead of the Open Championship after 54 holes, before eventually finishing 30th at St Andrews.

The 23-year-old went on to gain his European Tour card via the qualifying school in November but is taking advantage of a gap in his schedule, and a sponsor's invite, to play in the United States, where he attended the same college as former US Open champion Graeme McDowell - the University of Alabama in Birmingham.

Dunne said playing on the PGA Tour is his ultimate ambition. 

"I'm very excited to make my PGA Tour debut this week and spend a few weeks in California," said Dunne, who turned pro after helping Great Britain and Ireland to Walker Cup glory.

"I set my goals at the start of the year to just try to improve every day." 

"When I was playing in college I was always striving to turn pro and play golf on a professional tour and I was excited to get my European Tour card back in November. Now I have a few weeks off the European Tour I'm really excited to see what the PGA Tour has to offer.

"Category 16 status on the European Tour is for Q-School graduates, so it doesn't get you in every event.

When I was looking at the schedule I knew I had the first couple of events in South Africa [he finished ninth in the Joburg Open] and then my category wouldn't get me into the events in the desert swing.

"So I knew I had a good break in tournaments and then we just sought places to play and looked to America. We were lucky enough to get invites over here.

"Obviously the overall goal for me would be to end up on the PGA Tour so any exposure I can get to that early is great.

"In terms of goals for the week, I kind of set my goals at the start of the year to just try to improve every day - get better each week and let results take care of themselves. So I'm just going to keep working on my game and hopefully I put some good scores together."

World number two Jason Day is a doubt for the defence of his title at Torrey Pines after being laid low by a virus.

Day pulled out of the pre-tournament pro-am but hopes to be fit enough on Thursday to play the opening round of the £4.5m event, one of the five tournaments he won in 2015.

The last time he missed a pro-am, he went on to shoot 61 in the opening round of the Barclays and win for the third time in four starts.

If Day does miss out, the event can still boast an impressive field, with new world number four Rickie Fowler making the 17-hour journey from Abu Dhabi after winning his second European Tour title on Sunday.

Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Justin Rose are also competing.

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Dunne in Jo'Burg Open Mix

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Paul Dunne signed for a third round 68 on Saturday at the Jo'burg Open to go into Sunday two shots off the pace in South Africa.

After recording eight birdies and no bogeys on Friday, the Greystones player continued the form on the front nine on Saturday with a birdie at the first before consecutive birdies on the fifth, sixth and seventh.

However his climb up the leaderboard took a blow at the 11th with a double bogey six.  But the 22-year-old fought back with birdies at the 14th and 15th.

A bogey on the 17th was recovered with a birdie on the last to sign for a 68 and sit on 13 under par, two shots behind joint-leaders Zander Lombard, Haydn Porteous and Anthony Wall.

40-year-old Wall had birdies on the fourth, ninth, 10th and 13th holes, and will head into Sunday’s final round level on 15 under par along with South African pair Lombard and Porteous.

Lombard had an even more eventful and productive day at the office. The Pretoria-based player, who turns 21 on Monday, posted nine birdies and two bogeys en route to a 65.

And Porteous, having started with an eagle at the par-five first, then ended his third round with two straight birdies to make it a three-way tie at the top after 54 holes.

For Wall, it is a win that matters, although he admits his mentality has changed massively in the last 16 years.

"That's why I play golf now," he said. "To try and make my children proud of me, to try and win as many times as possible.

"At the end of the day I'm father now before I am a golfer, that switched a few years ago and I just want to keep playing for them and my wife so they can be proud of me."

On his round, he added: "I drove the ball well. That was my weakness the first two days, today I was great off the tee. I holed a couple of good long ones, but I also missed three or four I could have holed, so all-in-all it was a good day.

I've got a great chance tomorrow. But they're all good players, some one's going to be a little luckier tomorrow and win, so hopefully it's me - Anthony Wall

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Jack Hume Fires 68 in Austria

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Jack Hume got off to a flying start yesterday in his bid for his European Tour card.

Playing in the first qualifying stage over the Ebreichsdorf course in Austria the young Naas star fired a highly impressive four under par 68 to grab a share of second place after the opening round.

His round was almost flawless as he collected six birdies and just two bogeys.three of his birdies coming in succession from the third.

He finished with six straight pars playing some really clinical golf.

Paul Dunne also in action in Austria carded a 70 which included four birdies and two bogeys.

The Greystones man who jointly led the Open going into the final round disappointingly closed with a bogey five.

Leading the way in Austria on 66 was Os Lengden of Sweden.

Meanwhile at Collingtree Park in Northampton Irishman Clontarf’s Eamonn Bradymade a solid start to his bid for a card returning a level par 72 to be two strokes adrift of leader Paul Reid.

Richard Weldon from Killeen Castle retuned a 74 to remain in the hunt but PaulMcGibney has some work to do after an opening 77.

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Dunne Helps Seal Walker Cup

Great Britain and Ireland regained the Walker Cup in comprehensive fashion at Royal Lytham on Sunday, securing the points required against the United States with six matches still to finish.

Leading 10-6 after the morning foursomes, the home side needed just three and a half points from the 10 singles to secure a fifth win from the last six contests on home soil.

And they did so at the earliest possible opportunity thanks to victories for Ashley Chesters, Cormac Sharvin and Jimmy Mullen and a half from Paul Dunne in the top four matches.

Chesters was sent out first once more and made it three and a half points from four by beating Jordan Niebrugge, who lost all three of his matches just two months after finishing sixth in the Open at St Andrews.

Sharvin then saw off 52-year-old Mike McCoy 4&3 before Mullen, who had partnered Chesters to two foursomes wins, beat Denny McCarthy to become the first GB&I player to have a perfect 4-0 record since Paul Casey and Luke Donald at Nairn in 1999.

That left Dunne to secure a half against world number two Maverick McNealy, who missed from five feet for birdie on the 18th to keep the biennial contest between the best amateurs from both sides of the Atlantic alive.

Captain Nigel Edwards struggled to put into words what it meant to lead his side to victory for the second time in three attempts.

"Gosh. It's great," the 47-year-old Welshman said. "At Royal Aberdeen (in 2011) we were up against it until the death but the boys at the top of the order went out fast as we needed them to do."

Asked about his perfect record, the 21-year-old Mullen said: "It did not matter as long as the team won, but to win all my matches is the icing on the cake."

Dunne, who led the Open after 54 holes before fading on the final day, added: "I will take winning over 30th place every day. It's so much better to do it as a team. Nigel has been a fantastic captain and inspired us from start to finish."

United States captain John Miller, who curiously sent NCAA and US Amateur champion Bryson DeChambeau out last in the singles, said: "I am very proud of everyone to a man. They played hard and fought hard and lost with grace and dignity, and that's not easy to do.

"Nigel and his boys outplayed us, simple as that. They earned it."

DeChambeau had been on the 10th hole when the contest was decided and went on to beat Gavin Moynihan 6&5.

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Dunne Follows Bobby Jones

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Paul Dunne shares the lead with 2010 winner Louis Oosthuizen and Australia’s Jason Day going into the final round of The Open Championship at St Andrews.

However, just one shot behind the leading trio, Jordan Spieth's bid for the third leg of an unprecedented calendar grand slam remained firmly on track after a breathless third round.

Masters Tournament and US Open champion Spieth could be denied a place in the record books by an equally remarkable performance after Dunne claimed a share of the lead.

Days after being mistaken for Spieth by fans seeking autographs due to their identical clothing, Dunne carded a flawless 66 on the Old Course to finish 12 under par alongside playing partner Oosthuizen - whose win in 2010 came last time The Open was staged at St Andrews - and perennial Major contender Day.

Spieth also shot 66, with 2007 and 2008 champion Padraig Harrington a shot further back on ten under after a superb 65.

Nine players were tied for sixth on nine under, including another amateur in American Jordan Niebrugge, Justin Rose, Sergio Garcia and Adam Scott, along with England's Danny Willett, who led outright after ten holes but drove out of bounds on the 14th.

Dunne is the first amateur since the legendary Bobby Jones to lead The Open after 54 holes, the American going on to lift the Claret Jug at St Andrews in 1927.

Three years later, Jones became the last amateur winner of The Open to date at Royal Liverpool and went on to complete the "Impregnable Quadrilateral" of Amateur Championship, Open Championship, US Open and US Amateur titles.

Paul Dunne Factoids

Started golf when he was 10 and began playing "properly" from age of 12.

Now 22, he booked his place at the Open through final qualifying at Woburn, finishing ahead of the likes of Retief Goosen and Colin Montgomerie, having done exactly the same 12 months earlier to secure his debut in the event at Royal Liverpool. However, he almost missed his tee time for qualifying this year after not allowing enough time for the shuttle bus to get him to the 10th tee.

Won the 2010 Irish Youths Amateur Championship title, following in the footsteps of Open champions Padraig Harrington and Louis Oosthuizen, who won his Claret Jug at St Andrews.

Aiming to become the first amateur to win the Open since Bobby Jones in 1930. He is also in line to become the first Irishman to win the silver medal, awarded to the leading amateur making the cut, since a certain Rory McIlroy at Carnoustie in 2007.

Graduated from the University of Alabama in business finance in April. Fellow Irishman Alan Murray coached him at university and is caddying for him this week.

Plans to turn professional later in the year after the Walker Cup, which he is trying to qualify for having been included in a provisional 20-man squad.

Wears same apparel as two-time major winner Jordan Spieth, whom he leads by one stroke, and has been mistaken for the calendar year Grand Slam-chasing American more than once this week.