It’s happening again!
An Irish sports star arrives onto the international stage and the BBC swoop in to claim him.
Such is the recent trend anyway: first and now co-leader of the Open, Greystones’ amateur Paul Dunne.
Dunne had played 16 holes of his third round, jumping into the lead, by the time commentator Mark James said the words that he would come to regret.
This is Paul Dunne. Irish amateur golfer from Dublin leading the British Open. Frenchman Mark James is comm… https://t.co/iu9NvOTscX
— Thomas Walsh (@ThomasWalsh1) July 19, 2015
The only one who is out of bounds is you, Mark!
Paul Dunne Factfile:
• 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.