Dunne’s Wretched Season Ends With Wrist Injury Forcing Him Out Of Tour Q-School

Paul Dunne’s wretched season has ended sadly with a wrist injury forcing him out of today’s (FRD) starting Q-School six-round Final Stage in Spain.

Dunne was set to be among six Irish teeing-up over two courses at the Lumine Golf Club near Tarragonga.

“I won’t be playing this week,” Dunne said to Irish Golf Desk. “It’s an ongoing wrist injury that’s gotten worse and I’m going to take some time to sort it out.”

It’s unclear how long he has been suffering with the injury and whether it will require surgery or simply needed rest and rehabilitation.

Paul Dunne season ends in disappointing manner being forced to withdraw from the Tour’s Q-School (Photo – European Tour/Gettys)

“I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”

The 26-year old was forced back to Q-School having failed by nine spots to retain his European Tour card by finishing 124th on the Race to Dubai money-list.

A top-25 result over the six rounds in Spain would have seen Dunne regain full 2020 main European Tour membership and instead will have to rely on a ‘lessor’ Tour card and seek invitations into larger-money events next year.

It will mean, and in a Ryder Cup year, Dunne needing to travel prior to Christmas too far off Tour stops at Hong Kong, Australia, Mauritius and South Africa.

Dunne earned a gallant two-year exemption in defeating Rory McIlroy to capture the 2017 British Masters but it’s been a get-wrenching year for the quietly-spoken Greystones golfer having missed a bunch of halfway cuts.

Indeed, Dunne sat out the weekend rounds in a dozen of his last 14 Tour events.

Dunne’s withdrawal from Q-School leaves Irish hopes over the five days from November 15th to 20th in the hands of Michael Hoey, Jonathan Caldwell, Robin Dawson, Niall Kearney and Gavin Moynihan.

Hoey’s a five-time Tour winner but also struggled in 2019 and with his status affording him tee times in just 16 European Tour events to finish 180th on the Race to Dubai.

Moynihan had battled a wrist injury at last month’s French Open but has shaken off the concern to take his place in Spain.

A record number of 842 players had entered September’s First Stage and now we’re down to the leading 156 fighting it out for the top 25 spots and a place on the European Tour.

Among those in Final Stage include a host of European Tour winners including 2014 Ryder Cup ‘winning putt’ hero, Jamie Donaldson, Italy’s Matteo Manassero, South African Darren Fichardt, Aussie Brett Rumford and 2004 Irish Open winner, England’s Lee Slattery and Frenchman Gregory Bourdy.



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