The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
NCAA Championships
Paul Dunne Finishes Fifth At NCAA Championships
6/1/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
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| Individual Results 
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Senior Paul Dunne earned the second-best individual finish for a UAB men's golfer at the NCAA Championships after placing fifth overall. Dunne shot a 1-over 73 in the final round to finish 5-under at The Concession Golf Club.
"Paul had a great tournament," head coach Alan Murray said. "He will be a little bit disappointed he didn't win, but I am so proud of him. He really showed his class as a golfer. Today he hit two drives in the water that probably cost him, but he bounced back and played really steady. He just couldn't get the ball in the hole. Sometimes it just goes like. So proud of him. This is one of the best fields in amateur golf and he finished fifth so what a fine achievement."
Dunne's finish was just one behind Graeme McDowell's fourth place finish in the 2002 NCAA Championships. He finished with a 72-hole total of 283 (-5) for the tournament. Dunne carded three rounds at or under par to go along with Monday's 73 (72-69-69).
"It feels good," Dunne said. "If you had told me that at the beginning of the week I probably would have taken it. My goal was to finish all four rounds under par, so I was a little bit disappointed to miss out on that by one shot today. Overall it was a good week, good experience."
The Greystones, Ireland native entered the final round in second place on the leaderboard, one shot back on eventual champion Bryson Dechambeau. Dunne started the day with three-straight pars, and was leading going into the fourth hole, but found the water and ended up with a double bogey to go 2-over.
Dunne got a shot back with a birdie on hole No. 7 before falling victim to another double bogey on the 10th hole. He recovered with a birdie on 15 and earned a spot in the top-five with a birdie on the 17th hole.
It capped off a great week for the senior, who earned his career-best finish at the NCAA Championships. Dunne became the first player in UAB history to appear in three nationals in his career.
UAB closed out the 2014-15 season at the NCAA Championships. The Blazers made their sixth appearance at the nationals and won four of their last five tournaments coming in, including a win at the NCAA Bremerton Regional.
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