Paul Dunne shook off the dogged American Robbie Ziegler on the 18th to move into the last 32 of the US Amateur Championship in Chicago last night.
The Greystones star, 22, looked by far the more accomplished player on a windy afternoon at Olympia Fields’ North Course but he had to work hard to move into today’s second round with a two-up victory over the gutsy Ziegler
Having chiselled out a two-up lead with six holes to play, the hero of The Open was hauled back to all square after 15 holes and had to hole a five -footer at the 16th for a winning par and a three-footer at the 17th to stay ahead of the resilient Oregon native.
Chipping game
Ziegler, a skinny, 25-year old assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin, made up for his lack of length with a deadly, cack-handed chipping game and some gutsy putting.
Outdriven consistently by at least 30 yards, the blonde American had more realistic birdie chances early on and saved par when he was in trouble to be level through eight holes.
Dunne hit the first eight greens in regulation and might have trailed had Ziegler not missed outside chances from around 15 feet at the first, second and third with his anchored putter.
The American eventually fell behind on the tough ninth, where his tee shot caught a tree 80 yards from the tee and he made double bogey six to Dunne’s five.
The Irish star doubled his lead by holing a 45-foot, left to right monster for birdie at the 12th but he bogeyed the 13th and 15th to see his lead erased.
Match alive
He won the 16th in par, however, and after Ziegler had kept the match alive by draining a 15 footer to avoid a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he won the last with a par four as his opponent drove into sand, hit the lip with an ambitious hybrid shot and, eventually bunkered his third as Dunne hit a stellar six iron to nine feet.
“I played well at the start and had good chances at four, five and six from 10 feet and missed them all, which was disapppointing,” said Dunne, who had his regular foursomes partner Gary Hurley as caddie.
“But I got two up through 12 and played some nice golf in the middle to go two under and then gave them away with two soft bogeys.
“So it was nice to hit two great shots to the last to seal the win. I was thinking if I made four it would be game set and match and luckily I hit two great shots and closed it out.”
Dunne will face Caleb Proveaux from South Carolina in the second round but Hurley and Cormac Sharvin were left with nothing else to do but contemplate a nervy wait for the Walker Cup team to be announced as they missed out on places in the matchplay field.
Both had two holes to complete on the South Course yesterday to make what turned out to be an 18-man playoff on three over for 10 spots. But neither made it with Sharvin going closest after a great birdie from 10 feet at the 17th left him needing a birdie that proved elusive at the par-five 18th.
