Most of the pre-tournament talk this year was about Jordan Spieth and his bid to emulate the Grand Slam that Bobby Jones achieved in 1930 by going three quarters of the way with a win at St. Andrews. The Grand Slam dream is still alive and well for Spieth and he is perfectly poised at only one shot off the lead in the penultimate group on the course. Spieth continues to impress and who would bet against him winning yet another major in a row. Yet on Sunday, strangely not the final round but the third round due to poor weather conditions over the first three days, the main storyline was not Spieth but rather another player looking to emulate that famous Bobby Jones year. Irish amateur Paul Dunne is in a share of the lead in a major. Jones was the last amateur to win this event all those years ago.

It has been a remarkable tournament for amateur players with a record number making the cut, with three in the top 30 and two in the top 10. Dunne is not guaranteed the silver medal prize for best amateur yet he has a realistic chance of winning the Claret Jug. He leads the Open after three rounds with the previous winner of the major at the Old Course, Louis Oosthuizen and Australian Jason Day. On an up and down low scoring day on the links of Scotland, Dunne shot a superb 66 and looked completely unfazed that he led the world’s oldest competition. Dressed head to toe in Under Armour clothing like a certain Mr. Spieth, Dunne’s performance drew comparisons with his more illustrious competitor. Both Dunne and Spieth plotted their way around St. Andrews in very similar fashion on their way to 66s. Neither seem quite aware yet of the history that they could possibly make this week.

The 22 year old has obviously proven to be a massive talent but it would hardly be a disservice to him to call him a complete unknown at this level of golf. His University of Alabama team mates were probably aware of his ability but Dunne has really exploded into the public eye in this event. No one expected the main Irish challenge to come from the Greystones amateur or even for there to be any challenge from any Irish player given Rory McIlroy’s unfortunate injury before the event. Dunne is yet another exciting star in the making for a country that has been treated with excellence in a golden age of Irish golf. After Fred Daly’s win of the Open in 1947, there was a sixty year gap between wins for the island of Ireland. What followed has been a truly amazing run of major performances. Irish players have won at a rate better than once a year for the past eight years. When they don’t win, they always seem to be in contention. And the man who started it all off with his 2007 Open win is typically in contention once again after being seemingly finished on the major front only a couple of years earlier. At -10, Padraig Harrington lies in fifth place but only two shots behind the lead. We all know how great he is when near a lead in a tournament so the old dog may have a few tricks yet.

At the same time, the odds are still against an Irish winner. Harrington is 18/1 and Dunne is 20/1 with Paddy Power. These odds will attract the patriotic punter. This is because of the quality of the players in contention. I have already mentioned Jordan Spieth who is on a hot streak the game has rarely seen before. But Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen also share the lead. It is only a matter of time for Day as he is in contention yet again at a major. Oosthuizen has a superb record on this course and has the smoothest swing in golf. In addition, a super low score from the many players at -8 and -9 to set the target in the clubhouse can be ruled out neither on a course that is giving away a lot of birdies. So many intriguing storylines make the first Monday finish of the Open since 1988 a must watch.