Nick Dunlap made history on Sunday by winning both as an amateur and a professional in the same year.
In January, while still a sophomore at the University of Alabama, he surprised everyone by winning The American Express in La Quinta.
However, because he was an amateur then, he couldn’t claim the prize money. But things changed at the Barracuda Championship where he earned $720,000 for his victory.
“I never thought that I would have my name next to that, but it’s definitely an honor,” Dunlap said about his unique achievement.
After becoming just the eighth amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years at The American Express, Dunlap turned professional. It wasn’t easy though; six missed cuts showed how tough it can be to transition.
“It’s been a little tough after AmEx. You kind of lose a little bit of confidence and wonder if you can do it again,” he admitted.
Turning Point:
At Tahoe Mountain Club, his confidence returned when he sank a 55-foot eagle on the par-5 15th hole to take the lead. The Barracuda Championship uses a Modified Stableford scoring system where players get points for different achievements: eight for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie; but they lose points for bogeys and double bogeys.
“I hadn’t made an eagle yet this week,” Dunlap said. “So that was kind of the goal—play aggressive but not reckless.”
Fans might think this comeback is truly inspiring!
Dunlap kept up his aggressive playstyle with another birdie on the par-4 17th hole and finished with no bogeys in his final round. He ended up with 49 points, two ahead of Vince Whaley.
Afterwards, feeling rejuvenated and now ranked 41st in the Official World Golf Ranking, Dunlap shared that he’s not planning to slow down anytime soon.
“The only sour thing about this is that winning moment goes quickly,” he said. “Tomorrow I’m flying to Minnesota trying to repeat and do exactly the same thing.”
With just two events left in this PGA Tour season’s regular schedule, Dunlap has moved from 95th to 63rd in FedEx Cup standings—only top 70 advance to playoffs!
Next up is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities starting Thursday. What do you think about Nick’s journey?
