Paul Dunne had no hangover – either real or in terms of his play – as he bounced from Close House up to St Andrews and stayed in pole position to share the lead on the first day of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.
The 24-year-old Irishman, the newly crowned British Masters champion, ended his outstanding run of 40 holes without a bogey at the Road Hole – where else – but still put together a 67 to grab a share of the lead with the big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, the former Ryder Cup player smashing it through the wind at Kingsbarns to also finish on five-under.
Notables like defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and another Irishman Shane Lowry – who may have been buying the beers on Sunday night for Dunne – are well-placed on four-under, while Rory McIlroy had a one-over 73, bookending it with birdies. But he looked more like a man with time off impending than he had in Northumberland last Sunday.
Dunne barely missed a beat from English North East to the Scottish one, however. He admitted to having a sorrier head last time he did well on the Old Course, after the 2015 Open, which he led going into the final round but slumped on the final day.
“I had so many people come over from Ireland I had to go out and have a drink with them afterwards and ended up having a late night,” he recalled. “I would probably have preferred not to go out, but it would have been poor form if I’d just stayed in and sulked when everyone else is out.
“So I ended up having a good time, but that’s about all I’ll tell you!”
This time it was just a few beers with the Irish lads before a day off on Monday and then re-applying himself to this week.
“I’m on a good stretch, my game feels good and every tournament for the rest of the year is a big event,” he reasoned. “I didn’t see much point in going home or taking time off when everything feels so good. I want to just keep building on that.
“I feel in control of what I’m doing, which is a nice feeling, but it’s one that I don’t want to go so I’m not getting complacent with it.
“I’ve got six big weeks coming up over the next seven so I want to keep doing what I’m doing.”
Dunne drove the ninth and made eagle to go out in 32, picked up a couple of memorable birdies at two of the Old Course’s most famous holes, the 11th and 14th, before surrendering one at the most famous.
“I’ve great memories of here, not just the Open but the Dunhill later that year, which was my professional debut,” he added.
Colsaerts is known as one of the coolest characters on tour but he doesn’t let the pro-am format here get on top of him.
“It’s not as relaxed as you think,” he says. “It’s fun, but we still play a tournament in there somewhere.
“It’s not easy, either. It blows quite a bit when you have shots into and coming off the left (at Kingsbarns).
They have changed a few pins, as well, which I think kind of must be the reason. We always play this course with certain pins and all of a sudden you get different ones, so you kind of have to play the golf course a little different than what you’re used to.”
The big Belgian is at St Andrews today but his favourite is on Saturday.
“I’ve always liked Carnoustie,” he said. “I think Carnoustie is fair. It’s tough but if you play well, you’re going to get rewarded.”
For McIlroy, it was his dad Gerry’s birthday, but allowing him to outplay him on the front nine was a birthday gift too far.
“He enjoyed it, but this wasn’t my best day,” he admitted. “I didn’t quite have it today and I’m not sure why.”
Rory made a big bid to get back to level par with a drive downwind at the 18th which came up pin high, but he misjudged the conditions on the 12-foot putt for eagle.
“It’s probably a right edge putt with no wind so I hit it sort of straight, but it broke and missed on the left side,” he said. “I’ve hit it over the green at the 18th with it howling downwind, but never hit the drive that close to the pin.”
Rory has made struggling starts to the Dunhil before and battled back, and he sees no reason why he can’t starting tomorrow at Carnoustie.
“I don’t think it will be quite as windy tomorrow, so we’re going to get Carnoustie maybe a little easier than the guys there got it today,” he said.
“I played there on Tuesday and it’s it’s quite soft. The greens are very good, so it actually could be a good opportunity for some of the guys to score well tomorrow.”
