PGA TOUR
Amateur Nick Dunlap Wins PGA Tour’s The American Express
Nick Dunlap became the first amateur golfer to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson collected the 1991 Northern Telecom Open. Dunlap, aged 20, is the second youngest player to win on the PGA Tour in then last 90 years.
Dunlap, a University of Alabama sophomore, is accustomed to creating record achievements. At the youthful age of just 12, he shot a round of 59 during a junior tournament at Highland Park Golf Course in Alabama. And, he is one of two male golfers in history to win both the US Junior Amateur Championship (2021) and the US Amateur Championship (2023). The other player to score both title is Tiger Woods.
Dunlap received a sponsor exemption to play at this week’s The American Express. In the third round, he shot an incredible 12-under 60, tying Patrick Cantlay's record for the lowest round by an amateur on the PGA Tour. The pulsating round vaulted him up the leaderboard to become first amateur to hold a 54-hole lead/co-lead in a PGA Tour event since Paul Dunne at the 2015 Open Championship. Dunlap held a three-shot lead over second place Sam Burns and a four-shot advantage over Justin Thomas.
Sunday at Pete Dye’s Staduim Course at PGA West saw a number of names present themselves within sight of victory down the stretch. Burns, a five-time PGA Tour winner, held a one-shot lead with three holes to play. The 27-year-old blew his chances finishing with back-to-back double bogeys at the 17th and 18th holes. Kevin Yu fired a 9-under 63 final round to tie his career low score and produce his most birdies in a round (10). Yu made his only bogey for the day at the final green to fall to 27-under and take a share of third place with Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas. Christiaan Bezuidenhout holed out his second shot from 138 yards for an eagle at the par 4, 15th hole to give himself a chance for his maiden PGA Tour title. The South African finished one-shot back at 28-under and in solo second place.
In the end, Dunlap rose to the challenge producing a number of clutch moments late in the round for victory. At the 14th hole, he buried a 10 foot birdie putt to get within one-shot of the lead. He took a share of the lead at the 16th hole after making another 10 foot putt for a birdie. Then, Dunlap made back-to-back pars at the closing two holes, the most difficult holes on the course. Dunlap’s historic moment came after calmly stroking his six-foot par saving putt for victory at the last green. Dunlap closed with a 2-under 70 to get to 29-under.
As an amateur, Dunlap will not earn prize money or FedExCup points. However, the win makes him eligible to accept PGA Tour membership at any time during the 2024 PGA Tour Season with an exemption through to the 2026 PGA Tour season.
Min Woo Lee was the best-placed Australian. The young gun from Perth fired a 5-under 67 on Sunday to reach 20-under for a tied 21st result.
Final Scores
1. Nick Dunlap -29
2. Christiaan Bezuidenhout -28
T3. Kevin Yu -27
T3. Xander Schauffele -27
T3. Justin Thomas -27
T6. Michael Kim -25
T6. Adam Hadwin -25
T6. Sam Burns -25
Australians
T21. Min Woo Lee -20
T34. Jason Day -18
T39. Harrison Endycott -17
MC. Aaron Baddeley
MC. Cam Davis
Image Credit: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
