Paul Dunne ‘devastated’ after pulling out of BMW South African Open
Paul Dunne says he is "devastated " to have had to withdraw from the BMW South African Open.
The Wicklow man was forced to withdraw with a stomach complaint before the first round in Johannesburg today.
Not the best timing to get food poisoning/tummy bug the night before the #BMWSAOpen. Devastated to have to withdraw this morning. #nextweek
— Paul Dunne (@dunners11) January 7, 2016
Players and caddies at the tournament were wearing black ribbons in tribute to Christy O’Connor Jnr, whose death was announced on Wednesday.
South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl set an imposing clubhouse target in the BMW SA Open as tournament host Ernie Els suffered another attack of the dreaded yips at Glendower.
Els had been three over par with three holes to play before reviving his chances of a sixth victory in his national open with a birdie on the seventh and an eagle on the par-five eighth.
However, the four-time major winner then three-putted the ninth, his final hole, to card a one-over-par 73, the 46-year-old’s par putt from 18 inches not even touching the hole.
Els missed two similar putts in the space of a month towards the end of last season.
Later today Padraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell will take part in the Hyundai tournament of Champions in Hawaii.
