Perhaps it was the grey Under Armour attire, or perhaps it was the calm and relaxed demeanour for one so young, but the name Paul Dunne was mentioned in the same sentence as Jordan Spieth several thousand times over the last six days.
The young Greystones amateur received the amount of attention and spotlight usually reserved for Conor McGregor or Roy Keane for his exploits around the Old Course at St. Andrew's.
The week began with spectators being upset when they asked Spieth for an autograph only for it turn out to be Dunne - to a wide range of professional players complimenting the 22-year-old on his performance and attitude.
@UAB_MensGolf @UABathletics Blazers boys out for some practice in St. Andrews! #GoBlazers pic.twitter.com/6zu9l9Gix2
— Paul Dunne (@dunners11) July 14, 2015
Former US Open winner Graeme McDowell is backing his fellow University of Alabama alum to succeed immediately. After playing with Dunne in warm-up rounds McDowell was full of praise for the youngster.
I played with him early in the week and he hit the ball very well with a technically-correct swing.
Listening to a few of his press conferences he seems like a wise-old owl for someone his age.
He seems like a really cool character. I liked his comments about being surprised to be leading an Open Championship but not surprised about the numbers he shot.
He has that Jordan (Spieth) maturity to him a little bit.
Dunne and his father Collie have suggested that he will look to turn professional after the Walker Cup (the amateur equivalent of the Ryder Cup) in September. McDowell isn't so sure that that is the best route to go down.
If he had a good finish I don't know what he would have needed to have waited for the Walker Cup for.
The Walker Cup is one of the fondest memories of my career but it means nothing as soon as you press the professional button.
He needs starts and has an opportunity between now and the end of the season to perhaps get his European Tour card and those extra five weeks could be beneficial to him.
McDowell is appearing to suggest that Dunne could take advantage of tournament invites off the back of his exploits while they are fresh in the mind - so that he can earn enough in prize money to win a Tour Card and avoid the notorious Q-school.
