Less than 24 hours after winning the American Express, Nick Dunlap needs a breather.
It was a whirlwind 72 holes in La Quinta, California, for the 20-year-old sophomore in his second season of college golf at Alabama. It was a most intense final round as he made two clutch pars on the final two holes to win by a shot, beating a field of professionals to become the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour.
Not only did he win, but he did so in record fashion, posting a 29-under total, the lowest since the event was reduced from a 90-hole tournament to 72.
Dunlap was eligible for the $1.5 million prize due to his amateur status but golf fans won’t soon forget the historical achievement.
On Monday, Dunlap, through the PGA Tour communications office, announced that he will not compete in this week’s Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego.
Statement on behalf of Nick Dunlap pic.twitter.com/9VGwMbjWEi
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 22, 2024
He was in the field previously as a sponsor exemption. His AmEx win removed that status from him but as was then in the field as a PGA Tour winner, moving Harrison Endycott in as a sponsor exemption.
A further unrelated sequence of events happened when Justin Thomas withdrew. That got Endycott in the field and opened up a sponsor exemption for Hayden Springer.
Nonetheless, Dunlap is stepping back for the week. He is still pondering whether to accept the PGA Tour card and turn pro or stay in school and try to help Alabama win an NCAA title.
“I’ve always wanted to win a ring with Alabama,” he said Sunday. “But no, everything kind of moving forward, and as far as me turning professional, that’s something that it doesn’t just affect me, it affects a lot of people, and that being my teammates and my coach, you know, they, obviously, probably didn’t think that I would ever consider turning pro after this week.”
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