Great gesture.
Paul Dunne began his week at The Open Championship by getting mistaken for Jordan Spieth in his practice, and opening, rounds.
He ended it as a genuine Irish golfing prospect, was the leader going into the final round and, as an amateur, had to turn down approximately €58k after finishing in a tie for 30th position.
He is expected to be contacted by sports manufacturer Under Armour in the coming weeks for a clothing and sponsorship deal after he wore their golf gear throughout his remarkable Open journey.
One man who would definitely welcome Dunne into the UA fold is American golf sensation Jordan Spieth. The 21-year-old, and winner of the Masters and US Open this year, was so impressed with the Irish amateur that he twice – following Dunne’s closing round of 78 – sought him out for a chat.
On RTE’s Brendan O’Connor Show today, Colm Dunne, Paul’s father, revealed Spieth’s gestures.
He said, ‘Jordan had a word with Paul twice when he came in and that was a very, very nice thing to do. The amount of goodwill from the other golfers was absolutely incredible.’
Dunne said South African Louis Oosthuizen, who finished second to playoff winner Zach Johnson, was ‘an absolute gentleman’ and was supportive of his son over the first and second rounds. It was Spieth’s kind words, however, that he returned to.
‘In fairness to Jordan Spieth, and we all know how big a player and ambassador he is for the game, he sought him out. Rickie Fowler went up to him afterwards; there was a huge amount of goodwill.
‘When you’re playing sport at a high level, to get the respect of your peers is a huge thing. That’s a huge thing for him. Those guys have been fantastic and that is a takeaway for him.’
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