The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Paul Dunne Set to Make 2016 European Tour Debut
1/4/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Former UAB standout Paul Dunne is set to make his first start of 2016 as a full-time member of the European Tour at this week’s BMW South African Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni.
Dunne was one of 27 players to earn membership through the European Tour’s final round of qualifying school. The final round consisted of 108 holes of stroke play contested at the PGA Catalunya Resort in Ginora, Spain. He fired a six-round total of 10-under to finish in a tie for 13th place, three strokes clear of the cut line.
“Paul had a whirlwind year in 2015 that was pretty pressure packed with the high caliber tournaments he played in throughout the year culminating in Q-school at the end of the year,” said UAB head coach Alan Murray. “Getting his European tour card was huge for him and he can now go into his first full year as a professional with full status on the European Tour. He will be able to plan his schedule in a way that he feels will keep him fresh and in the best place to play his best golf.”
Dunne is largely known to the golfing world for his remarkable performance at last year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews where he became the first amateur since Bobby Jones in 1927 to lead The Open after 54 holes. Zach Johnson eventually went on to win the event in a three-man playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman.
Following The Open Championship in July, Dunne received numerous sponsor-exemptions on the European Tour, and he certainly took full advantage of those. He racked up a pair of top-25 finishes with his best finish coming at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, again hosted at St. Andrews where he finished in a tie for 19th.
“He has shown his game is good enough to compete at the highest level so it's a case of getting used to the travel and lifestyle of the professional tour,” added Murray. “Once he gets to the course it is still playing golf and he certainly knows how to do that. There is always a learning curve in a new endeavor but Paul is a really sharp lad and his competitive nature will always keep him focused on the end goal of winning tournaments. I expect he will continue to improve as a player and success will be product of that.”
Dunne’s final event as an amateur came at the prestigious Walker Cup where he was a key part of Great Britain & Ireland’s 16.5-9.5 dismantling of Team USA at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England.
“Paul has always been successful at every level of golf he has played including junior golf, college golf and men's golf and I don't see any reason why it will be any different as a professional,” said Murray. “There will be highs and lows along the way of course as that is part of the game but Paul has all the tools that it takes to be a success and then some I believe”
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