Gerard Dunne targets first home win at East for 41 years
Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) will compete at his 18th East of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship this weekend. Photo: Inpho | Tom Maher
County Louth's Gerard Dunne hopes he can become the first home winner of the title for 41 years when the Arnotts-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Championship is decided at Baltray on Sunday.
The local school teacher (38) has already racked up top-10 finishes in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open and the North of Ireland Championship this season, and he's clearly got the game to aspire to become the first County Louth member to win the title since Finbarr Ronan succeeded Barry Reddan as champion in 1985.
"I think it would be an amazing thing to do, to become part of the history of the club, to have your name on the board and to lift the trophy, it would be huge," said Dunne, who is part of an 11-strong home contingent that will take to the links on Friday.
"It's what you practice for when you're a kid, it's what you talk about when you're a young member and to be in a position where I genuinely feel I can win it is great.
"I don't think about it a huge amount because it's such a tough thing to do and golf is such a punishing sport and it's hard to win but I'll absolutely be trying my best to win."
"I won't be thinking about the trophy on Friday; there's a lot of work to do in between, but it'd be absolutely huge."
He's certainly a more accomplished player now than he was in 2016, when he finished second to Paul O'Hanlon.
"I'm preparing much better now in the last few years than I ever did," said Dunne.
"It's just about making sure I know what the strengths of my game are and where the areas are that I need to keep on top of.
"I am at a point in my life where I have a family at home, I have a career, and I know who I am as a person.
"I think that when you have that self-awareness, it helps transfer over onto the golf course so that you can perform to a higher level because whether I win this week or not, I know I'm happy with who I am in my life."
With Dunne and Walker Cup players Stuart Grehan and Gavin Tiernan joined Graham Callaghan, Harley Phipps, Evan Farrell, Ryan O'Doherty, Daniel O'Brien, Jack McKenna, Ronan O'Reilly and Louis Goodman, hopes of a strong home challenge are high.
"We're lucky in Baltray to have so many good players that you play a high calibre of player every week, and that keeps your game sharp," Dunne said.
The first objective for the 132-man field is to make the top 42 and ties after 36 holes, who will qualify for the last two rounds on Sunday.
Arnotts East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, County Louth GC
Tee-times
1st tee Friday/10th tee Saturday
7:30/12:30 Oliver Scriven (Pearl Valley), Stuart Grehan (Co. Louth), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk);
7:41/12:41 Sean Keeling (Roganstown), Graham Callaghan (Co. Louth), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown);
7:52/12:52 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), David Lally (Blainroe);
8:03/1:03 Gavin O’Neill (Malahide), Keith Egan (Carton House), Liam Abom (Edmondstown);
8:14/1:14 Jamal Sabir (Moate), Matthew McClean (Malone), Kyle Honer (Roganstown);
8:25/1:25 Alex Kerins (Carton House), Cornelius Farhang (Oslo), William O’Riordan (Greystones);
8:36/1:36 Conor Stapleton (Westport), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock);
8:47/1:47 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Dylan Holmes (Greystones), Gavin Tiernan (Co. Louth);
8:58/1:58 Frederik Richardson (Byneset), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Jamie Anderson (Greystones);
9:09/2:09 Mark Cadden (Roganstown), Morgan Cain (Fota), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth);
9:20/2:20 Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore);
12:30/7:30 Shane Irwin (Hermitage), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), James Park (County Sligo);
12:41/7:41 TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Gary Collins (Rosslare);
12:52/7:52 Leon Sebastian Hauger (Oslo), Kyle McCarron (North West), Neil Patterson (Baltinglass);
1:03/8:03 Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Oscar Bach (Oslo), Ryan Griffin (Royal Dublin);
1:14/8:14 Marcus Goosen (Sunnfjord), Patrick Keeling (Roganstown), Robert Walsh (Kinsale);
1:25/8:25 Nicolai Rosli (Oslo), David Reddan (Castleknock), Calum Ward (Carton House);
1:36/8:36 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), Barry Howlin (Heritage);
1:47/8:47 Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Marius Kvande (Surnadal), Joe O’Neill (Berehaven);
1:58/8:58 Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak), Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Ronan O’Reilly (Co Louth);
2:09/9:09 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth), Michael Roche (Harpenden Common), Knut Magnus Erlandsen (Baerum);
2:20/9:20 John Cunningham (Carton House), James O’Rourke (Naas), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk).
10th tee Friday/1st tee Saturday
7:30/12:30 David Howard (Fota Island), Simon Ward (Belvoir Park), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt);
7:41/12:41 Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle), Fionn Dobbin (Malone), Isaac Oliver (Glasson);
7:52/12:52 Harry O Hara (Clandeboye), James Walsh (Kinsale/Douglas), Quentin Carew (Heritage);
8:03/1:03 Aaron Ryan (Thurles), Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth);
8:14/1:14 Dwayne Mallon (Dungannon), Corey Scullion (Moyola Park), Simon Gallivan (Killarney);
8:25/1:25 Ryan Murray (Balmoral), John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint);
8:36/1:36 Ciaran Murphy (Grange), Sean Sweeney (Gweedore), Ben Phipps (Taylormade, USA);
8:47/1:47 David Kitt (Athenry), Sean Downes (Royal Dublin), William Walshe (Delgany);
8:58/1:58 Sam Allister (Belvoir Park), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), James Hewitt (Tandragee);
9:09/2:09 Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet), Paul O Hanlon (Carton House), Cian Harkin (The Island);
9:20/2:20 Matthew Giles (Greenore), Conor Hickey (Dooks), Jenson Boyce (Royal Portrush);
12:30/7:30 Conor Murtagh (Island), David O’Malley (Black Bush), Matthew Dodd (St. Anne’s);
12:41/7:41 Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Luke Furlong (Wexford), Jonathan O Sullivan (Cork);
12:52/7:52 Ross Healion (Newforest), Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), David Shiel (Enniscrone);
1:03/8:03 Jordan Boles (Carton House), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Harry Morgan (Donabate);
1:14/8:14 Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay), Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone/Co. Louth), Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint);
1:25/8:25 Daniel O’Brien (County Louth), Patrick Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon), Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay);
1:36/8:36 Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Brian Doran (Millicent), Cole Henderson (Galgorm Castle);
1:47/8:47 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Julius Sommer (Penati), David Bohill (Clgc);
1:58/8:58 Jack McKenna (County Louth), Eoin Burrows (Belvoir Park), James Fox (Portmarnock);
2:09/9:09 Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), Fergal Coyle (Athenry);
2:20/9:20 Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint).
