Dunne looks to break his duck

Paul Dunne is aiming to secure a first European Tour win at the Australian PGA Championship this week.

The 23-year-old Irishman has been elevated to the professional ranks thanks to an impressive 2015 as an amateur, which included helping Great Britain & Ireland win the Walker Cup and leading the Open Championship after three rounds in July.

Dunne negotiated 14 rounds at Qualifying School to secure his playing card for the tour and made his professional bow at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in October.

However he goes into the year-ending event at the RACV Royal Pines Resort on Australia’s Gold Coast determined to complete the transition across to professional golf with a debut win.

“I’d love to give myself a chance to win this week,” Dunne told the European Tour’s official website. “I feel like every week I’ve played since I turned pro has been quite pressure filled and I’ve had to play well every week and then once I got my card at the Q School I sort of relaxed too much and ended up missing the cut last week.

“The mental pressure was lifted a little bit and I think that hurt my performance in a way, so I’m going try to find a way to put some pressure back on myself this week and see if I can play well and have a chance come the weekend.”

Tagged Paul Dunne