Who is Paul Dunne? An Irish amateur that cut his golfing teeth in American NCAA golf but I think the real story is that Paul Dunne would not be leading the Open after 54 hole if it wasn't for Jordan Spieth.
Dunne is only 4 months younger than Jordan and all across the country and world the amazing run Spieth has been on has emboldened great college amatuers to test their games at the highest level without fear. Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Ollie, Schiederjans, Jordan Niebrugge and now Dunne have watched one of their own DOMINATE the men's tour and now Major Championships and they have wondered, WHY NOT ME?
However none of this group of NCAA all stars are nearly as promising as Spieth and now the young Texan is on the precipice of history.
Fellow Texan Ben Hogan was the last man to win the first 3 majors of the year and if the PGA championship had not overlapped the Open that year he would have won the Modern Grand Slam.
Bobby Jones won the grand slam but two of the legs of his GS were amatuer tournaments, nothing to scoff at because in those days Amateur Athletics were either on par or maybe even slightly ahead of the pro game.
That being said, to even think that someone has a CHANCE to capture the grand slam in 2015 is ABSURD! Equipment changes, instruction changes and worldwide fields are supposed to squash all outliers and PARITY is supposed to be the order of the day. Jordan Spieth has other ideas. He is about as mentally together as a steel trap, mistakes on the course only harden his resolve to be better, to be more focused. Contrast that to the droopy dog look of Dustin Johnson as he vomited around the course in 75 strokes on the easiest day weather wise of the tournament. DJ just started putting horribly and he reverted to hitting his wedges as poorly as he did before he started seeing swing guru Butch Harmon.
Only two diminutive men, Dunne at 5'8" and Ooshuizen listed as a generous 5'10 stand a single stroke ahead of Speith after 54 holes. It will be slightly rainy 62 degrees and 15mph winds but the weatherman could be way off the mark.
Normally anyone within 5 stokes of the led starting the Final day has a chance to win, right now that barely narrows the field to 25 men. Of that 25, 7 are major champions (Harrington, cink, schwartzel, Zach, Adam Scott, Goosen and Oosthuizen). The winner will have to get to about -15 or -16
If the weather is fairly benign I see this being Louis' day. If not for his first round at Chambers Bay he would have ran away with the US Open. He is in much better position now and he is playing and putting great. Louis had always just been a little too disinterested in golf to really tap into his full potential and I think maturity will make his one of the rare players that really improves with age.
Jason Day still needs to address some real issues with his pre shot routine and tempo (every shot is balls to the wall) before he will clutch a Major trophy.
If the weather is nasty and continues to get worse look out for Harrington and Zach Johnson. I see Zach as an also ran but Harrington (a friend of mine) will be one of the only players in the field thrilled to see horrible weather, it limits the swing thoughts in his head and makes him dangerous.
Spieth will be close, he will not beat himself out of this Open and if someone wants to win the Claret jug, they will have to legitimately beat him out of it.
I predict a PLAYOFF, it will be amazing four holes in the scottish twilight. Bad weather all day and then calm for playoff. The golf Gods will cull the field and then calm the scene to allow the true champion to show himself. "Cometh the hour, Cometh the man"
Oosthuizen in a playoff.
Dunne is only 4 months younger than Jordan and all across the country and world the amazing run Spieth has been on has emboldened great college amatuers to test their games at the highest level without fear. Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger, Ollie, Schiederjans, Jordan Niebrugge and now Dunne have watched one of their own DOMINATE the men's tour and now Major Championships and they have wondered, WHY NOT ME?
However none of this group of NCAA all stars are nearly as promising as Spieth and now the young Texan is on the precipice of history.
Fellow Texan Ben Hogan was the last man to win the first 3 majors of the year and if the PGA championship had not overlapped the Open that year he would have won the Modern Grand Slam.
Bobby Jones won the grand slam but two of the legs of his GS were amatuer tournaments, nothing to scoff at because in those days Amateur Athletics were either on par or maybe even slightly ahead of the pro game.
That being said, to even think that someone has a CHANCE to capture the grand slam in 2015 is ABSURD! Equipment changes, instruction changes and worldwide fields are supposed to squash all outliers and PARITY is supposed to be the order of the day. Jordan Spieth has other ideas. He is about as mentally together as a steel trap, mistakes on the course only harden his resolve to be better, to be more focused. Contrast that to the droopy dog look of Dustin Johnson as he vomited around the course in 75 strokes on the easiest day weather wise of the tournament. DJ just started putting horribly and he reverted to hitting his wedges as poorly as he did before he started seeing swing guru Butch Harmon.
Only two diminutive men, Dunne at 5'8" and Ooshuizen listed as a generous 5'10 stand a single stroke ahead of Speith after 54 holes. It will be slightly rainy 62 degrees and 15mph winds but the weatherman could be way off the mark.
Normally anyone within 5 stokes of the led starting the Final day has a chance to win, right now that barely narrows the field to 25 men. Of that 25, 7 are major champions (Harrington, cink, schwartzel, Zach, Adam Scott, Goosen and Oosthuizen). The winner will have to get to about -15 or -16
If the weather is fairly benign I see this being Louis' day. If not for his first round at Chambers Bay he would have ran away with the US Open. He is in much better position now and he is playing and putting great. Louis had always just been a little too disinterested in golf to really tap into his full potential and I think maturity will make his one of the rare players that really improves with age.
Jason Day still needs to address some real issues with his pre shot routine and tempo (every shot is balls to the wall) before he will clutch a Major trophy.
If the weather is nasty and continues to get worse look out for Harrington and Zach Johnson. I see Zach as an also ran but Harrington (a friend of mine) will be one of the only players in the field thrilled to see horrible weather, it limits the swing thoughts in his head and makes him dangerous.
Spieth will be close, he will not beat himself out of this Open and if someone wants to win the Claret jug, they will have to legitimately beat him out of it.
I predict a PLAYOFF, it will be amazing four holes in the scottish twilight. Bad weather all day and then calm for playoff. The golf Gods will cull the field and then calm the scene to allow the true champion to show himself. "Cometh the hour, Cometh the man"
Oosthuizen in a playoff.