I’VE DUNNE IT
Ice-cool Paul holds off superb McIlroy cameo as Dubliner breaks his duck by landing Masters title
NOT even a glorious weekend cameo from Rory McIlroy could disturb the composure of Paul Dunne, as he holed an incredible pitch on the 18th to register a memorable first victory on tour at the British Masters.
All week, the locals had got behind this event and the decibel levels were duly rising off the charts as McIlroy picked up five shots in six holes on the back nine. He was just one off the lead striding to the 18th and playing with such swagger it was as if this lost year was a bad dream.
McIlroy ended up following his 64 on Saturday with a 63 — his lowest score of the year — and it was still not enough to close the gap on Dunne.
A wonderful event got the finish it deserved when Dunne, who had missed the green at the difficult par-three 18th, played the perfect recovery to complete a brilliant 61 and a three-shot victory.
‘Going into the weekend, I’d have thought I’d have a chance shooting 64-63, which just shows how well Paul played,’ said McIlroy. ‘He started well and had the lead all day but still finished birdiebirdie. He didn’t let anything get to him. It was very impressive.’
Dunne added: ‘I’m thrilled to prove something to myself with that finish. To beat a field of this quality with Rory finishing second is an amazing feeling.’
As ever, there was a moment of good luck along the way. It came at the 11th, where Dunne’s approach was missing on the left and heading for a horrible spot.
When the ball landed, it caught the edge of a sprinkler and bounced back in the direction it came, finishing 4ft from the flag. A near-certain bogey had been transformed into a tap-in birdie.
It has turned a solid season into a very good one as he seeks to realise all the promise and potential he showed during a glittering amateur career. One of the highlights came in The Open at St Andrews in 2015, which he co-led after three rounds — the first amateur since 1927 to lead the game’s showpiece tournament with a round to go.
Since then, things haven’t been all plain sailing. He looked like he was on course for his first win in April until victory in the Hassan Trophy in Morocco was snatched from under his nose by Edouardo Molinari following a play-off.
No such mishaps this time, and no heart-racing drama either following that escape at the 11th. Even having to stand on the 17th tee for 15 minutes with his onestroke lead didn’t faze him.
He struck a wonderful drive, played a beautiful pitch to within 6ft of the cup, and rolled in the birdie putt to double his lead. What followed at the 18th put the finishing touch to a truly unforgettable display.
As for the English players who dominated for the first two days, the second half of the event was a collective disappointment. Graeme Storm finished joint fourth but Tyrrell Hatton didn’t perform, finishing alongside Scot Richie Ramsay tied for eighth, while Ian Poulter made too many mistakes to finish tied 11th.
Lee Westwood didn’t play as well over the weekend either, finishing tied 15th, the same score as Marc Warren and Stephen Gallacher. But the Englishman can be proud of this event he hosted — the best-attended British Masters in history. The European Tour now know what they’re missing when they neglect regions such as this one.