In the sun-dappled beauty of La Quinta, California, whispers of history rustled through the emerald expanses of the PGA West golf course. There, amongst the palms, a young titan named Nick Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore and golf savant from the University of Alabama, took his place in the annals of golf lore. It was on a Sunday that Dunlap, with the calm demeanor of a seasoned pro and the boldness of youth, captured the American Express tournament with a stunning 29-under par, eclipsing South African professional Christiaan Bezuidenhout by a mere stroke.
Despite vanquishing a legion of seasoned pros, a bittersweet twist to Dunlap’s triumph would reveal itself: his amateur status forbade the clasp of cold, hard cash—the US$1,512,000 purse drifting like a mirage on the desert horizon. Yet, it was left to Bezuidenhout, the honored runner-up, to claim the monetary spoils, while those tied for third reaped their shared bounty.
“I’ve learned so much today, and I’m so grateful to be here,” Dunlap confided during a poignant moment captured by the PGA Tour’s social media. “To see some of the people rooting for me was really special.”
Historical echoes resonated as Dunlap became the first amateur since a youthful Phil Mickelson in 1991 to hoist a PGA Tour event trophy into the air. In his hands, the weight of over a century fell away, as he stood as the youngest amateur to claim a tour event since the year 1910.
Dunlap’s journey has been a storied odyssey of golfing success, from the triumph at the US Amateur championship that saw him walk in the rarefied footprints of Tiger Woods, to his ascendance at the US Junior Amateur championship in pursuit of mastery of the craft.
The horizon now beckons, for with this victory comes a golden ticket—the opportunity to turn professional, to join the luminous ranks of the 2024 PGA Tour with surety through to the 2026 season. An auspicious future waits with bated breath as the cycle of the tour seasons unfurls before him.
In the afterglow of the win, the airwaves of PGA Tour Radio carried the thoughts of a young man at a crossroads. “I have to take a second to let what just happened sink in a little bit,” admitted Dunlap, wise beyond his years. “That’s a decision that’s not just about me. It affects a lot of people, and obviously, I’m going to try to enjoy this.”
The wind carries the tale far and wide—the whispers becoming a chorus, singing the ballad of Nick Dunlap, amateur golf marvel, etching his name into the timeless story of the game.
