Amateur golfer Nick Dunlap made history over the weekend by winning the American Express in California. Dunlap opened with 525-1 odds but managed to secure his first-ever PGA Tour victory by shooting 29-under in the tournament. With the victory, Dunlap became the first amateur player to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson accomplished the feat in 1991. Yet, due to his amateur status, Dunlap was also forced to forfeit his whopping $1.5 million winner’s check.
That means second-place finisher Christiaan Bezuidenhout actually took home the winner’s share of the $8.4 million purse after shooting 7-under in the final round.
Dunlap Compares His Game To Dustin Johnson
Even prior to the win, Dunlap had already made a name for himself on the amateur circuit.
He recently became the first player since Tiger Woods to win both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur championships. He also shot a record-tying 12-under 60 in the third round, tying Patrick Cantlay’s score in the 2011 Travelers Championship for the lowest single-round score for an amateur golfer.
Just 20 years old, Dunlap is currently in his sophomore year in college at the University of Alabama. While he is already in some rarified air among the world’s top golfers, he compares his game to another high-profile American player — Dustin Johnson.
“I think my long game and driving are fairly similar,” Dunlap said on GOLF’s Subpar podcast last fall. “I think over the past couple of years my putting has gotten a lot better. It’s something I’ve focused a lot on, especially this first year at Bama.”
Dunlap Could Play In 3 Majors In 2024
Even though Dunlap missed out on a huge $1.5 million payout, he still had plenty to gain with Sunday’s victory.
His American Express win guarantees him membership on the PGA Tour for the next two years should he decide to turn pro. And since he has the option to defer his membership until 30 days after the end of the 2024 season, Dunlap could actually play out the rest of this season in the NCAA ranks before joining the Tour for the 2025 and 2026 season.
If Dunlap decides to forego his college eligibility and turn pro in 2024, he would also be exempt into all of the remaining signature events this season. However, he would not earn any FedEx Cup points for his most recent victory due to his amateur status.
Until he decides to turn pro, Dunlap will be limited to just 12 starts on the Tour this year. However, he already has an invitation to the Open Championship as a result of winning the U.S. Amateur championship. Dunlap also has an exemption for the Masters and U.S. Open, which means he could be in the field for three of the four major championships this year.
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