Alan Dunbar in action at the Open.
19 July 2012
Alan Dunbar's first round at a major
Alan Dunbar, the reigning Amateur Champion, teed off this morning in match number 13 on day one of The Open Championship at Royal Lytham.
The Rathmore member signed for a five over par round of 75 and will play again on Friday with Adam Scott and Matt Kuchar who carded rounds of 64 and 69.
Dunbar's tee shot to the par three first hole found the green, pin high, and a regulation two putt par gave him a solid, nerve settling par.
Lady luck was on his side on the second when a wayward tee shot found the rough on the left of the 18th fairway. A free drop away from metal railings gave Dunbar a chance to attack the green, and a sublime shot, pin high right of the flag set him up for his second par.
Pars followed at the next three holes until he found trouble again at the par four 6th hole going right off the tee into the heavy rough, just 15 yards from the fairway.
A reasonable lie gave him a chance to move the ball down the fairway but a well struck iron found one of the pot bunkers 80 yards short of the green.
Too close to the face of the bunker to make the green, Dunbar attempted to play out to the left side but he caught the lip of the bunker and came back into the trap. His next shot found the rough, still short of the green by 60 yards. He steadied himself and gave himself a 20ft putt which just stopped short. He tapped in for a triple bogey seven.
Another wayward tee shot on the seventh found heavy rough 20 yards right of the fairway leaving Dunbar no choice but to try and get the ball back in play which he did but left himself a long third to the well protected green. His approach found the green pin high, 8ft from the flag but his putt missed in the left and a par was the outcome.
Dunbar found the fairway on 8, and played a wonderful iron shot to 9ft which he duly holed for birdie.
His tee shot to the par three 9th gave him an excellent chance of birdie which he took and he turned in one over par.
He would find another of the pot bunkers off the tee at ten, where again he had to concentrate on getting the ball back in play to leave him a short third to the green which left left hole high and made a great par save.
On the 11th, Dunbar was forced to play his third from the tee after his first attempt went right and was not found.
He finished out with a double bogey seven after laying up with his fourth.
A regulation two putt par at the 12th followed, and on 13 he would find the heavy rough left of the fairway but a good lie allowed the Amateur Champion to play a lovely high shot into the green to 6ft left of the pin but missed his birdie attempt.
Another drive to the right and Dunbar found more trouble on 14, and again he made sure of getting the ball back on the fairway, his second coming up 30 yards short of the green while his chipped third didn't check as much as he wanted ending 12ft past the hole. A solid putt back gave Dunbar an unlikely par after the wayward tee shot.
He found fairway on 15 and missed the green off the back left. A miss hit chip send Dunbar's ball past the pin and into the sand trap waiting behind the pin. Forced to play out sideways, he found the green and two putted from 40ft for a double bogey six.
He found fairway and green in regulation at the par four 16th, and a two putt par left him on +5
Again he found fairway at 17, but missed the green off the back. A delicate chip to 5ft and a single putt gave him par.
Fairway and green in regulation on 18 followed by a two putt par in front of the grandstands gave Dunbar his first major experience and despite a couple of wayward hits that led to dropped shots, it was a solid performance by the Rathmore man.
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