Alabama Golfer Nick Dunlap joins Tiger Woods in elite feat
Alabama Golfer Nick Dunlap picked up a massive win this weekend at the US Amateur Championship at the Cherry Hills Country Club. Dunlap is only a sophomore with the Crimson Tide but has already done the unthinkable and is currently ranked as the No. 9 amateur in the World Rankings.
The way the tournament was set up it was one-on-one play rather than the traditional field style, and Dunlap never trailed over the final 18 holes in the championship round. Dunlap was sensational all weekend as he posted 11 birdies over the course of 33 holes.
Dunlap joins the greatest golfer of all time, Tiger Woods, in becoming only the second player to ever win the US Amateur Championship as well as the US Junior Am. Dunlap is a Huntsville native and is quickly putting himself on the map and showing that he can be a serious contender on the PGA Tour alongside other Alabama greats like Justin Thomas and Lee Hodges. With the victory, Dunlap has guaranteed himself a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open next year.
When you are receiving comparisons to Tiger Woods, it might be easy to let all the noise get to your head. However, Dunlap is a composed athlete and said this of the comparison,
“I think it’s only a third of what he’s done. Just to be in the same conversation with Tiger is a dream come true and something I’ve worked for my whole life.”
There is no question that Dunlap has certainly put himself on the fast track to be one of the greatest Crimson Tide golfers of all time.
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“I think it’s only a third of what he’s actually done,” Dunlap joked. “But just to be in the same conversation as Tiger is a dream come true and something that I’ve worked my entire life for.”
Woods won the U.S. Junior Am from 1991-93 and the U.S. Amateur from 1994-96.
“It’s the hours and hours that nobody sees to try to get to this point and even have a chance to win this trophy, it’s unbelievable,” Dunlap said. “Can’t put it into words.”
Here’s who will represent the United States at St. Andrews.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — The roster for the United States Walker Cup team is set.
Following the conclusion of the 123rd U.S. Amateur on Sunday, the United States Golf Association’s International Team Selection working group and coach Mike McCoy announced the final selections to represent the American team in the 49th Walker Cup at the Old Course at St. Andrews from Sept. 2-3.
The Walker Cup is a 10-man amateur team competition between the U.S. and Great Britain and Ireland. The Old Course has hosted eight previous Walker Cups, more than any other venue, most recently in 1975, when the USA defeated GB&I, 15½-8½.
Rising Stanford senior Michael Thorbjornsen, second in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, would’ve represented the United States but withdrew from the competition, as well as the U.S. Amateur, because of a back injury.
Meet the 10 members of the 2023 United States Walker Cup team.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — The date was June 10, 2014. Jeff Curl was on the range practicing at Greystone Golf and Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama, when some heavy rains blew through. Curl, then on the now-named Korn Ferry Tour, was hitting balls and getting practice in. Next to him was a 10-year-old Nick Dunlap.
It didn’t matter how heavy the rain was, Dunlap stuck next to Curl, mimicking the professional. Dunlap striped shots in the rain over and over again.
Curl stepped back, took a photo and posted it on social media. The caption said, “Practicing on this soggy day with future tour star Nick Dunlap. #KidIsLegit.”
Nearly a decade later, Curl’s prediction seems well on its way to being true.
Dunlap capped an incredible summer Sunday, winning the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club. He defeated Neal Shipley, 4 and 3, in the 36-hole final. The duo was tied after the 18-hole mark, but Dunlap was relentless during the second 18 holes and lights out with his putter.
“I truly believe by the time he’s 25, he’ll be the No. 1 player in the world,” Curl said on the 15th green after Dunlap clinched his match. “He’s got it.”
@greystonegcc Practicing on this soggy day with future tour star Nick Dunlap. #KidIsLegit http://t.co/kDzKYAETvv
With the victory, Dunlap is the second male amateur to win the U.S. Junior, which he captured two years ago, and the U.S. Amateur. The other is Tiger Woods.
Coming into the week, the 19-year-old rising sophomore at Alabama was one of the favorites. He had been the best male amateur in golf this summer, with his counterpart Shipley being the second best. Dunlap had captured the Northeast Amateur and the North & South Amateur.
However, his U.S. Amateur campaign got off to a rough start. He was 5 over after seven holes at stroke-play co-host Colorado Golf Club in a stretch that included playing the wrong ball on the third hole and four putting on the fifth.
But Curl, who was on the bag for his U.S. Junior win, as well, wrote something down in his yardage book. “This can be an AMAZING story if you let go and LET IT HAPPEN!!!”
“I was honestly just trying to give myself a chance with nine holes to play to try to make the cut,” Dunlap said.
Dunlap, who was ninth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, fought back and ended shooting up even-par the rest of the day. He finished T-38 after stroke play and got the 41st seed in match play.
His opening matchup? World No. 1 Gordon Sargent.
He dispatched his future Walker Cup teammate and then beat Denver native Connor Jones 4 and 2. He needed 19 holes in his quarterfinal to advance against incoming Auburn freshman Jackson Koivun, overcoming a cold putter. Then in the semifinals and championship match, that same putter took over.
“I’m stoked with how I played,” Dunlap said. “I executed exactly what I was trying to do.”
Nick Dunlap reacts to making his putt on hole 28 during the final match of the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Dunlap was 1 up thru 17 holes in the morning wave before Shipley hit one tight on the 18th and made birdie. Shipley, a 22-year-old graduate student from Ohio State, became a fan favorite during the weeks thanks to his long hair and interactions with the crowd.
Dunlap received cheers, but when Shipley did something well, the crowd of nearly 4,000 roared.
“I just never thought that would happen ever,” Shipley said. “This is going to be a special place because of that.”
Dunlap said the turning point came on the par-4 ninth, the 27th hole, when he made a long birdie putt when Shipley was in tight. He said that stopped Shipley trying to gain back momentum and kept him at arm’s length.
Even late in the round as Dunlap led 4-up with six to play, Shipley threw a shot to 5 feet on the par-4 13th, bringing the electric crowd to its feet with thunderous applause. Dunlap was long and in the rough and took two shots to get out, conceding the hole.
Both players found the fairway with their tee shots on the par-4 14th, but Shipley pulled his approach to a front left pin and was nearly in the water. With an open green, Dunlap’s approach also went left but not as far. Shipley had to hack at it ball, and it skirted across the green.
With a chance to close the door, Dunlap left his first chip short but then used a Texas wedge to get a conceded bogey. Shipley had a chance to match but missed a 4-footer, the victim of a cold putter during the afternoon round.
Nick Dunlap and his caddie Jeff Curl embrace after winning the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Then on 15, the closing par 3, Dunlap two putted for par and Shipley missed his birdie chance, ending the match.
“The nerves, I couldn’t feel my hands, I couldn’t feel my legs,” Dunlap said. “Couldn’t feel anything.”
Dunlap’s Alabama teammates flew in early Sunday morning and were there for a majority of the championship match. Coach Jay Seawell was there since Saturday and had a celebratory milkshake after the small ceremony on the 15th green.
“I’m just so proud of him,” said Seawell, who Saturday said Dunlap was as talented as any player he had coached. “All I told him was thank you, there’s a lot of people you’ve allowed to come alongside of you.”
Dunlap’s parents also arrived Saturday, so there were plenty of photos and hugs following his win.
Even with his poor start, Dunlap found a way to get into match play. Then he slowly and methodically took apart each opponent, creeping closer to the championship match.
After Sunday, Dunlap’s record in match play dating to July 2021 is 30-2. It was the first time in four appearances he made match play at the U.S. Amateur.
“I just learned that I could do it,” Dunlap said. “I always thought I could, but when you’re 5 over thru seven, your mind is spinning, you can’t see straight and all you see is red.
“I just learned that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.”
The best amateur in the world won the best amateur championship in the world. And he made history doing so.
The first name the champ looked for on the Havemeyer Trophy when he got it? Tiger Woods. A name Dunlap is paired with in the annals of the sport forever.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Anytime your name is mentioned with Tiger Woods in the world of golf, you must be doing something right.
Nick Dunlap has a chance to achieve something only Woods has done Sunday in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club. Win both the U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur.
Woods is the only male amateur to win the U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur. He won three U.S. Juniors from 1991-93 and then three straight U.S. Amateurs from 1994-96.
“It’s pretty good,” Dunlap said of possibly matching Woods. “It would be pretty cool company. It’s something that’s been a goal of mine for a long, long time. It’s the same thing, 36 holes; it’s a marathon tomorrow. It’s a lot of golf.”
Tiger Woods kisses the U.S. Amateur trophy after winning an unprecedented third U.S. Amateur championship, Sunday, Aug. 25, 1996, at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in North Plains, Ore. Woods won the title on the 38th hole.
Although Dunlap, a rising sophomore at Alabama, would be the second to do it on the men’s side, eight women have pulled off the USGA double, most recently Rose Zhang. And she is the only one to win the U.S. Women’s Amateur (2020) before the U.S. Girls’ Junior (2021).
Dunlap’s run to the championship should be no surprise. He has been the best male amateur this summer. He won twice, at the Northeast Amateur and North & South Amateur. He is 29-2 in match play since July 2021.
His partnership with Jeff Curl, Dunlap’s 44-year-old caddie who is a former pro, is another reason for Dunlap’s dominance. Curl was on the bag for his U.S. Junior win, too.
Alabama coach Jay Seawell said he’s not surprised by Dunlap’s run of success. And he has seen his fair share of strong golfers come through the Crimson Tide program, including two-time major winner Justin Thomas and recent Tour winner Lee Hodges.
“He’s as good as anybody that has walked through the doors at Alabama since I’ve been there,” Seawell said. “He’s as talented as anyone we’ve ever had.”
Dunlap’s Alabama teammates will be at Cherry Hills on Sunday for the championship match. So will Seawell, who followed along with his star 19-year-old for the majority of his semifinal match.
Seawell credits Dunlap’s match-play prowess to his killer instinct. He said Dunlap has a perfect mindset for match play, always understanding what he needs to do and what a certain shot or putt can do to his chances to win.
“He has an assassin’s mentality,” Seawell said.
Nick Dunlap chats with NFL quarterback legend Peyton Manning after Dunlap won his match 3 and 2 during the semifinals of the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. on Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023. (Kathryn Riley/USGA)
Dunlap has also been in control of his emotions all week, never getting too high or too low. Even with a few thousand spectators strolling the grounds of Cherry Hills on Saturday, Dunlap was so locked in he didn’t notice Peyton Manning, a member at the course outside of Denver, standing feet from him during the final holes of his match.
Come Sunday, Dunlap has a chance at history. And he’s in for the long haul.
“There’s going to be ups and downs, there’s going to be changes in momentum, there’s going to be … I don’t know what’s going to be thrown at me, but I’m ready for it,” Dunlap said.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — Nick Dunlap and Neal Shipley have been the two best amateur golfers this summer.
Dunlap finished second in the Elite Amateur Series standings with two wins at the Northeast Amateur and the North & South Amateur. Shipley finished fourth, with two runner-up finishes and a T-3 in the Elite Amateur Series. He also had another runner-up at the Dogwood Invitational.
That’s why it’s no surprise they’re the final two golfers standing in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club.
The duo each locked up 2024 Masters and 2024 U.S. Open invites next summer, but the first thing on their minds heading to Sunday will be hoisting the Havemeyer Trophy in the Mile High City.
Here’s everything you need to know from the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — As the week has gone on at the 2023 U.S. Amateur, the course has gotten tougher, stakes have gotten higher and the players are coming closer to hoisting the Havemeyer Trophy.
The quarterfinals at the U.S. Amateur are complete, meaning we’re down to four players in the Mile High City. Tee times went off early Friday morning in anticipation of afternoon thunderstorms in the Denver area, but Cherry Hills was baked in sunshine all morning.
Among the semifinalists are one of the favorites coming in, a player who has come oh-so-close to winning this summer but hasn’t quite pulled it off and a pair looking for their signature win.
The remaining players are all American heading into the semifinals.
CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, Colo. — After a grueling Thursday at Cherry Hills Country Club, the 2023 U.S. Amateur is down to eight vying for the Havemeyer Trophy.
Cherry Hills started to show its teeth, especially during the Round of 16 on Thursday afternoon. The wind picked up, the greens became more firm and started browning out, and players who stayed out of trouble took advantage.
However, one semifinal match was tied heading to a 19th hole on Friday morning, and it had an incredible ending Thursday night before play was suspended due to darkness.
Eight golfers are closer to winning the biggest championship in men’s amateur golf.
Friday’s quarterfinal tee times were moved up to the morning because of possible severe weather in the afternoon. The first tee time will be at 10:30 a.m. ET.
It’s time for the premier men’s amateur championship.
The 2023 U.S. Amateur started Monday at Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club, both in the Denver suburbs. The field of 312 players will complete 36 holes of stroke play, 18 at each course, before a cut is made to the top 64, who will advance to match play at Cherry Hills beginning Wednesday. This will be the 123rd U.S. Amateur.
Eighteen of the top 20 players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking are in the field, including No. 1 Gordon Sargent.
Last year, Sam Bennett topped Ben Carr 1 up at The Ridgewood Country Club in Paramus, New Jersey.
Here’s a look at 10 players to watch at the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.
The Walker Cup begins two months from Sunday and Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap has clearly made his case as to why he should be on the team.
With the biennial competition creeping closer, Dunlap again added a signature amateur win to his resume Sunday morning, capturing the 123rd North & South Amateur at Pinehurst No. 2, beating Stanford’s Karl Vilips 1 up in the match-play final. Because of thunderstorms in the Pinehurst, North Carolina, area on Saturday, the championship match’s final eight holes were completed Sunday morning, and Dunlap held on for his second victory in as many weeks.
— Pinehurst Resort (@PinehurstResort) July 2, 2023
Dunlap was a second-team All-American at Alabama as a freshman, finishing the year ranked 16th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. He qualified for the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club two weeks ago.
Now, he has won two of the first three Elite Amateur Series events of the summer. The North & South is the third of seven men’s events that are a part of the series. Up next is the 119th Trans-Mississippi Amateur from July 10-14 at Brook Hollow Golf Club in Dallas.
