He’s played in the last two U.S. Opens and the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The American Express golf tournament rarely gives one of its coveted sponsor exemptions to an amateur, but Nick Dunlap is a rare amateur.
Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Alabama, won the U.S. Amateur last year in Denver and two years after he won the U.S. Junior Amateur at Pinehurst in 2021. Only one other golfer has pulled off the U.S. Junior Amateur-U.S. Amateur double: A guy named Tiger Woods.
This week’s PGA event, which begins Thursday in La Quinta, California, will be the fourth professional event Dunlap has played in. He’s played in the last two U.S. Opens and the 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. So even though he’s performed on the sport’s biggest stage, he’s still thrilled to get the invite to The American Express.
“It’s really cool, and not just because I was able to get out of some unfortunate weather back home,” Dunlap said Wednesday after playing in the pro-am. “The American Express has given me a great opportunity. I get to play three really good golf courses. The weather’s beautiful and you get to play against the best players. It’s always cool to see how you stack up against the best.”
Nick Dunlap practices on the driving range at PGA West during practice day of The American Express in La Quinta, Calif., on Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024.
Tournament executive director Pat McCabe said giving Dunlap one of the event’s eight sponsor’s exemptions was a pretty easy call.
“I just think it’s important to give these decorated young players opportunities like this,” McCabe said. “It will be fun to see him out there playing with the pros at a PGA event. We’re excited to have him here.”
Dunlap did not make the cut in his other three pro tournaments, so that’s a streak he’d like to see end this week. He feels like his game suits the three courses used in the event, and his secret weapon on the bag is former assistant coach Hunter Hamrick.
“Hunter knows my game really well and I think we have a good gameplan, so we have to just go do us,” Dunlap said. “I think my game stacks up well out here. I feel like I’m a solid putter and as good as these greens are … I mean everybody hits it good at this level, so it might come down to a putting contest. Just kind of looking forward to it. Feeling good.”
If there was any ounce of intimidation playing with a pro, it went away once he saw his pairing. Dunlap is paired with Wilson Furr, a fellow Alabama alum who just got his PGA Tour card this year after a successful season on the Korn Ferry Tour. In fact, Furr has also only played in three PGA events.
Dunlap and Furr are part of a large contingent of players in the Alabama fraternity at the event this year, a group that also includes major winner Justin Thomas as well as Davis Riley, Robby Shelton and Lee Hodges. For the record, no University of Alabama player has ever won this event.
“Yeah, there’s a lot of us, and when I saw I was playing with Wilson Furr, I’ve played a lot of golf with him so it should be a comfortable matchup for us. Should be fun,” Dunlap said.
While Dunlap is excited to be in the desert this week, it won’t be his last pro event of 2024. His U.S. Amateur win qualifies him for the Masters. He’s never played Augusta National, and said it’s something he’s been thinking about a lot since he qualified.
“It’s pretty dang cool, I’m not gonna lie, and I know I’ll be playing with Jon Rahm the first two days, so that’s big, too,” Dunlap said. “All I’ve heard is that Augusta is a different beast, so I’m looking forward to experiencing that.”
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.
StrackaLine offers hole-by-hole maps for the PGA Tour’s 2023 The American Express in California.
PGA West’s Pete Dye Stadium Course in La Quinta, California – one of three courses used for the PGA Tour’s 2023 The American Express – opened in 1986 with a design by the legendary architect whose name appears in the layout’s title.
The 7,187-yard, par-72 Stadium Course is the main track for this week’s event, hosting each player for one of the first three rounds as well as Sunday’s final round. The other two courses used in the first three rounds are La Quinta Country Club (7,060 yards, par 72) and PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course (7,147 yards, par 72). All the players have one round on each course before the cut is made for Sunday’s final round.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week on the Stadium Course. Check out the maps of each hole below.
StrackaLine provides hole-by-hole maps of the layout that will host one early round plus the final round of the PGA Tour event in La Quinta.
PGA West’s Pete Dye Stadium Course, which opened in 1986 in La Quinta, California, is one of three courses used for this week’s The American Express on the PGA Tour.
Paired with amateurs in a pro-am format, the pros will play one round each Thursday-Saturday on the Dye Stadium Course (7,113 yards, par 72), La Quinta Country Club (7,060 yards, par 72) and PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course (7,159 yards, par 72). Sunday’s final round will be on the Dye Stadium Course.
The Stadium Course ranks No. 11 in California on Golfweek’s Best Courses You Can Play list for public-access layouts, with the Nicklaus Tournament Course ranked No. 25 on that list.
Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week. Check out the maps of each hole below.
There are a handful of places in the U.S. where golfers congregate in such numbers that we are the majority. At Pinehurst in North Carolina and Pebble Beach in California, announcing yourself as a proud golfer isn’t just accepted, it’s expected.
It’s the same in Palm Springs, California, and its neighboring communities, located a mere 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Here, golf is it. Tennis is popular, too, but the fairways, as far as many residents are concerned, are the essence of desert life.
Back in the day when we let our fingers do the walking and the Yellow Pages was an essential part of life, the local Palm Springs phone book dispersed golf tips on how to grip the club, keep your eye on the ball and follow through on the swing among the volume’s various classified ads. Now that’s a city consumed with golf, one that fills tee sheets with its geriatricgolf-loving residents and visitors at more than 100 courses.
With its idyllic weather consistingof 350 days a year of sunshine, Palm Springs has been a tourist haven and Hollywood getaway since the 1920s. It is a desert oasis cradled between tall, picturesque mountains – the San Jacinto Mountains to the west, the Little San Bernardino Mountains to the east and the Santa Rosa Mountains to the south.
“The Desert” is what locals call Palm Springs, itself shorthand for the 30-mile string of seven communities – including Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio – that more or less ooze into each other and make up the Coachella Valley.
La Quinta Resort (Courtesy of La Quinta Resort)
Everything about Palm Springs, the best known and farthest west of the Desert communities, is dreamy, from the red bougainvillea draping the Spanish-style buildings to the renovated mid-century modern buildings giving it its charm. Running a close second to the smorgasbord of forgiving fairways in Palm Springs is its culinary treats. It can stand on its own two feet as a bona fide foodie destination. (Unfortunately, my trip was during the pandemic and restaurants were only doing takeout, so circumstances were less than ideal for reviewing the food.)
The palm trees that line streets named after Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Gene Autry and Dinah Shore really do sway in the breeze, and lounging poolside here is a sport, if not an art. Palm Canyon Drive, the main thoroughfare of Palm Springs, is packed with alfresco restaurants with views of the bustling sidewalks and the latest boutique shops.
Yes, in this bastion of Bentleys and bling, worldly pleasures rule. It begs a question of where to enjoy this paradise: to stay close enough to walk to the first tee, or in the heart of Palm Springs at any one of a handful of the decadent spa resorts? The answer is: Choices abound. Palm Springs tends to cater to those seeking a tax shelter, not a night’s shelter. Nonetheless, affordable lodgings are fairly abundant, especially in summer when the mercury rises into triple digits.
La Quinta Resort (Courtesy of La Quinta Resort)
Since the dual purpose of my visit was to watch the PGA Tour pros at The American Express in January, I set up shop in La Quinta, at the other end of the valley about a 45-minute drive to Palm Springs. La Quinta Resort is considered the granddaddy of them all. This posh hideaway introduced the first golf course to the Coachella Valley in 1926 and remains a gem. The 45-acre enclave, with 41 pools on property, 23 tennis courts, both hard and clay surfaces and a top-notch teaching staff, harks back to the golden era of Hollywood when film stars lined up at the door. Guests still gather in the lounge, with its deep sofas, high-vaulted beamed ceiling and wood-burning fireplace that gives off the fragrance of mesquite. In a day of high-rise mania, low-rise La Quinta with its quaint Spanish-Colonial style casitas rates at the very least five stars for service, five hearts for romance.
The Mickelson Foundation, the non-profit arm of the PGA Tour event, has made donations to 14 Coachella Valley-based charity organizations.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — The 2021 American Express golf tournament may be played without fans in La Quinta in January because of COVID-19 restrictions, but the 2020 tournament is having an impact on the Coachella Valley this week.
The charities receiving funds include: Alzheimer’s Association Coachella Valley, Boys & Girls Club of Coachella Valley, Coachella Valley Boxing Club, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission, Desert Arc, Eisenhower Health Foundation, Family YMCA of the Desert, First Tee of Coachella Valley, Martha’s Village and Kitchen, Ophelia Project/JFK Memorial Foundation, Pegasus Riding Academy, Read With Me Volunteer Programs, The Well in the Desert and Volunteers in Medicine.
In a statement announcing the donations, tournament host and World Golf Hall of Famer Phil Mickelson said, “We were thrilled to raise $1 million for charities from last year’s event and provide needed support to worthy Coachella Valley organizations. With January’s event right around the corner, I’m excited to serve as the tournament host again, especially with a fantastic title sponsor like American Express who has committed again to raising meaningful funding through the event for organizations making a positive impact in the community.”
While the event will be played without ticketed spectators, the tournament still plans on having the three-day pro-am in the tournament. Two pros and two amateurs play in each foursome for the first three days of the tournament, rotating partners and golf courses each day. Tournament officials say the event will be conducted within local health guidelines and with PGA Tour Covid-19 testing policies in place for both professional and amateur golfers.
Previewing the 2020 American Express and looking at the best fantasy golf selections for the tournament.
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The PGA Tour returns to mainland USA this week for The American Express in La Quinta, Calif. The tournament (formerly the Desert Classic) is played over three courses — TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course and La Quinta Country Club. It runs as a pro-am with a 54-hole cut before the remaining professionals tee it up on the Stadium Course for Sunday’s final round.
The American Express Fantasy Golf Rankings: Top 30
Sungjae Im. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
Here are my top-30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 American Express in La Quinta, Calif.
30. Jason Dufner
The 2016 champion missed the cut last year, and he has slipped all the way to No. 265 in the Official World Golf Ranking, but he has fared very well on Pete Dye courses over his career.
29. Sebastian Munoz
Munoz missed the cut last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. It came just two events after his third-place finish at The RSM Classic. He had another strong putting performance last week and his weaker tee-to-green game will be mitigated here with all three courses shorter than 7,200 yards.
28. Brendon Todd
Already a two-time winner in 2019-20, Todd continued his climb up the OWGR with a T-21 result last week and now sits at No. 58. He hasn’t played this event since back-to-back missed cuts in 2015 and ’16.
27. Nick Taylor
Taylor always has a strong approach game, as seen in his 1.27 Strokes Gained: Approach per round last week, according to Data Golf. He lost nearly a half-stroke per round putting, and an average performance would allow him to contend.
Cameron Davis. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
26. Cameron Davis
Davis was the 36-hole co-leader last week in Hawaii en route to a T-9 result. His driver was a big part of his performance, but it won’t be as valuable at the shorter courses this week.
25. Brendan Steele
Last week’s runner-up, Steele gained 1.49 strokes per round putting. That sort of success on the greens is rarely replicated week-to-week, but he also gained 1.61 strokes on approach and is worth a shot while he’s hot.
24. Jason Kokrak
Kokrak finished T-8 in 2018 and T-18 last year. The 64th-ranked golfer in the world missed just two cuts in 24 events last year and is a safe pick with a guaranteed 54 holes of play.
23. Alex Noren
Noren has made nine straight cuts in worldwide events. He’s coming off a T-32 finish last week despite losing 0.95 strokes per round with the flat stick.
22. Rory Sabbatini
Sabbatini has made three straight cuts in La Quinta, with last year’s T-57 finish his best result in that span. He missed the cut just once since last July.
21. Bud Cauley
Cauley has averaged 2.01 strokes gained per round on the Stadium Course, more than anyone else in this week’s field. He missed the cut last year but a T-3 result in 2017 was sandwiched by T-14 showings in 2016 and ’18.
20. Billy Horschel
Horschel hasn’t played here since missing the cut in 2016. He already has two top 10s early in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season and has one of the best resumes in this week’s weaker field.
19. Cameron Champ
Champ took last week off after a T-14 finish at the Sentry Tournament of Champions the week before. The Safeway Open champ makes his debut at this event.
18. Brian Harman
Harman ranks second to Cauley in Strokes Gained at the Stadium Course among those in the field with a minimum of six rounds played. He used a well-balanced game to pick up a T-32 finish last week.
17. J.T. Poston
The Postman missed the cut last week, as he lost 1.26 strokes per round on approach. He’ll look to rebound at an event where he finished T-7 in 2019.
16. Kevin Na
Na skipped last year’s tournament, but he hadn’t missed the cut in any of his previous four appearances. He had a top showing of T-3 in 2016. He’s incredibly strong in proximity to the pin on approach shots from 100-125 yards. With many of the par 4s on all three courses ranging between 350-400 yards, he’ll have plenty of his favorite shots.
Russell Knox. (Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)
15. Russell Knox
Knox was third among those to make the cut last week with 1.47 strokes gained per round on approach. He was T-18 here last year following a T-29 in 2018.
14. Lucas Glover
Glover’s a regular contender in La Quinta with three top-20 showings in his last five appearances. His strong approach game sets up plenty of scoring chances at these shorter venues.
13. Phil Mickelson
The new co-host of this event, Lefty was a co-runner-up last year. He has slipped to No. 79 in the world entering this week, but he’s still a safe choice at these familiar courses.
12. Chez Reavie
Reavie had a rare missed cut last week. He has gained 1.45 strokes per round over eight career rounds on the Stadium Course, and he can create scoring chances.
11. Abraham Ancer
Ancer tied for 18th last year after finishing 76th in 2018. He gained 0.93 strokes per round on approach last week on his way to a T-38 finish.
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10. Matthew Wolff
Wolff played just the first of the two events in Hawaii, picking up a T-11 result in his first Tournament of Champions. The PGA Tour sophomore has been struggling on his approach shots, but he’s very strong off the tee and on the greens.
Francesco Molinari. (Photo Credit: Ian Rutherford – USA TODAY Sports)
9. Francesco Molinari
The odds may be stacked against the Italian Stallion, as only five non-Americans have won this event. He strung together a stretch of T-10, T-62 and T-12 from 2015 through ’17 before skipping the event the last two years.
8. Charles Howell III
Howell’s yet another course horse very familiar with all three tracks. He has collected three top-20 showings in his last five appearances, and he’s coming off a solid T-12 result last week.
7. Tony Finau
Finau’s the top golfer in the field from the OWGR (15), but he’s playing his first full-field PGA Tour event since the Mayakoba Golf Classic. He was fifth in last week’s Hong Kong Open on the Asian Tour.
6. Byeong Hun An
An makes his debut at the event formerly known as the Desert Classic and CareerBuilder Challenge. He hasn’t participated in a tournament since early November’s WGC-HSBC Champions, but he already has three top 10s on the 2019-20 season.
5. Paul Casey
Similarly to Molinari, Finau and some of the other top-ranked golfers in the field, Casey may struggle to get up for this event as he looks ahead to next week’s Farmers Insurance Open. He hasn’t played in La Quinta since a T-58 result in 2017.
Scottie Scheffler. (Photo Credit: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports)
4. Scottie Scheffler
We haven’t seen Scheffler, a recent Korn Ferry Tour graduate, since a T-5 showing at The RSM Classic. He has three top 10s and two top 5s early in his PGA Tour season.
3. Rickie Fowler
Fowler skipped last week’s event following a T-5 finish at the TOC. He’s well worth backing ahead of his defense of the Waste Management Phoenix Open during Super Bowl week.
2. Kevin Kisner
Kis made the cut here each of the last three years but with a top showing of just T-25 in 2017. He finished T-4 last week while gaining 1.32 strokes per round on approach and losing 0.23 strokes putting. Nine of the last 10 champions here played in Hawaii the week before.
1. Sungjae Im
Im finished T-21 last week while picking up 0.84 strokes per round on the putting surfaces. He was T-12 in his La Quinta debut last year and is still looking for his first PGA Tour win.
