Irish golfer Paul Dunne has accepted an invitation to a prestigious US event after being the first amateur to hold a lead after 54 holes at The Open last month.
The 22-year-old Wicklow native has accepted a special exemption from the USGA to compete at the US Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields Country club in Chicago later this month.
Dunne is now ranked 38th in the World Amateur rankings after rising from 80th. He is already well-regarded on the US Amateur circuit after the University of Alabama-Birmingham graduate won the 2014 Conference USA player of the year.
The chairman of the USGA's Championship Committee Diana Murphy heaped praise on Dunne and his involvement in the championship.
Murphy said:
Paul Dunne demonstrated his ability to compete with anyone by his outstanding play in the recent British Open at St. Andrews,
The USGA is pleased that he will be joining the strong international field of 312 players in the U.S. Amateur, our oldest national championship, at Olympia Fields.
The US Amateur Championship will be Dunne's first USGA event and will take place from the 17th of August to the 23rd.
