Dunne, other amateurs hanging with pros at British Open
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- Is the spirit of Bobby Jones influencing the 144th British Open? That's the question hanging over St. Andrews. Can Ireland's Paul Dunne or Oklahoma State rising senior Jordan Niebrugge do what no amateur has done since Jones in 1930 and win the game's oldest major?
Dunne used a 6-under 66 on Sunday to climb into a share of the lead at 12 under alongside 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen and Jason Day. Niebrugge is three shots back at 9 under after a Sunday 67.
Jones is the last amateur to hold a 54-hole lead in the Open. He led England's Fred Robson by four shots at St. Andrews with a 3-under 213 total after rounds of 68, 72 and 73.
Dunne, 22, of Dublin, and a recent Alabama-Birmingham graduate, certainly seems to think he can follow Jones into the history books. Jordan Spieth said amateurs contending -- and even winning -- could become more common.
Jones won the British Open, his third Claret Jug, at Royal Liverpool in 1930, three years after he won his second at St. Andrews. Johnny Goodman won the U.S. Open three years later to become the last amateur to win a major.
The 82-year wait could be nearly over.
"I'm not extremely surprised," Spieth said when asked about the performance of the amateurs. "I think in years to come, you're going to see more and more of it."
Five of nine amateurs -- Dunne, Niebrugge, England's Ashley Chesters, American Oliver Schniederjans and France's Romain Langasque -- made the cut. Six amateurs played all 72 holes in this year's U.S. Open.
"The amateur game has changed to be more like the professional game," Spieth said. "There's more tournaments, there's better golf courses, harder golf courses and better competition. That's what I felt when I was playing junior golf into amateur golf. It was almost like a mini PGA Tour.
"There will be an amateur that wins a PGA event or something like that -- possibly even a major, I think -- at some point in the next decade."
Maybe even this year. Dunne certainly thinks so.
"I don't see why not," he said. "I'm well capable of shooting the scores that I need to win if everyone else doesn't shoot their best.
"It's surreal that I'm leading the Open, but I can easily believe that I shot the scores I shot. If I were playing an amateur event here, I wouldn't be too surprised. It's just lucky that it happens to be in the biggest event in the world."
Niebrugge has spent quite a few rounds playing links golf this year. The Oklahoma State player made the match-play stages of the British Amateur at Carnoustie and qualified for St. Andrews at Hillside Golf Club, beside Open venue Royal Birkdale. He's not surprised to be in this position.
"I think you're seeing so many amateurs playing well because we're inspired by the young guys on tour like Jordan who aren't that much older than us," Niebrugge said.
Schniederjans, a former World No. 1 amateur and Georgia Tech star, is in 45th place at 4 under. He made the cut at the U.S. Open, finishing T-42. He said he should be closer to the lead.
"I'm hitting the ball the best in my life," he said. "If I had putted better over the last few days, I'd be up near the top."
Kids these days. They just have no respect.
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