20-year-old amateur wins a PGA Tour event in La Quinta, California.
"It's so cool to be experiencing this as an amateur," said the 20-year-old amateur Nick Dunlap after claiming The American Express title by one shot from South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout. But because he is an amateur, the American will not receive any prize money. The $1.5m winner's cheque went to Bezuidenhout.
Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991, when a young Phil Mickelson won the Tucson Open. Dunlap is also the youngest amateur to win a tour event since 1910.
Mickelson, a six-time major winner, posted on X: "Such an impressive performance by Nick Dunlap. Congratulations on an incredible win."
With the win, Dunlap now has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour as well as entry to the Masters, the US PGA Championship and The Players Championship.
A sophomore who plays golf for the University of Alabama, Dunlap won last year's US Amateur championship, and coupled with him winning the US Junior Amateur championship in 2021, he joins Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win both prestigious tournaments.
