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The Roar

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Where did Paul Dunne spring from at St Andrews?

The current crop of golfing greats are on track to rival their predecessors. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Expert
19th July, 2015
0

When The Open tee times were released at St Andrews last week, Irishman Paul Dunne was in a group with Todd Hamilton and James Hahn.

Nobody gave the trio a sidewards glance.

Dunne is ranked 80th among the world amateurs, Hamilton was a shock Open winner in 2004, but now ranked 1605 in the pro world, and Hahn’s ranked 100 with just one PGA tournament success at the Northern Trust Open last February.

Nothing to write home about, especially as bookes had Dunne at $1500 to win.

Tonight the 22-year-old will be in the final pairing with South African Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion – what a transition.

No amateur has won any major since Johnny Goodman took out the 1933 US Open, and no amateur has won The Open since the legendary Bobby Jones in 1930.

And that’s not the only headline ready for tonight.

Jordan Spieth is one shot off the pace to win his third successive major this year, Ben Hogan was the last to achieve that feat in 1953.

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And no golfer has ever won the Grand Slam of Masters, US Open, The Open, and the USPGA championship in the same calendar year.

And for the first time in living memory, six Australians are in with a show – Jason Day, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Steve Bowditch, Greg Chalmers and Matt Jones.

No Australian has won The Open since Greg Norman’s second in 1993.

The leaderboard:

12 under – Jason Day, Paul Dunne, and Louis Oosthuizen.

11 under – Jordan Spieth, who will be playing with Day.

10 under – Padraig Harrington,

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9 under – Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, who fired in a third round 64 with eight birdies, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Retief Goosen, Zach Johnson, Robert Streb, Danny Willett, and another amateur from the USA – Jordan Niebrugge.

8 under – Steve Bowditch, and Charl Schwartzel.

7 under – Rickie Fowler, Ryan Palmer, Patrick Reed, Hideki Matsuyama, Stewart Cink, Marc Warren,, and Dustin Johson.

6 under – Greg Chalmers, Matt Jones, Jim Furyk, Brooks Koepka, and Paul Lawrie.

But all eyes will be on the Irishman and how he handles the pressure at the tail of the field.

If he wins, he obviously can’t accept the $1.8 million first prize – and that will hurt.

He’s stayed amateur so he can play in the Walker Cup in September, the amateur equivalent of the Rydey Cup.

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But it’s a big price to pay for Paul Dunne, especially as bookies have slashed his odds from $1500 to $21.

Jordan Spieth is the bookies favourite at $3.50 to make it three from three.

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