Playing on a sponsor exemption in his fourth PGA TOUR start, Nick Dunlap (1st/-29), the 2023 U.S. Amateur champion won The American Express by one stroke to become the first amateur to win on TOUR since Phil Mickelson (1991 Northern Telecom Open).
At 20 years, 29 days, he becomes the youngest amateur to win on the PGA TOUR since Chick Evans at the 1910 Western Open (20 years, 1 month, 15 days) and second-youngest winner on TOUR since World Word II (youngest: Jordan Spieth, 2013 John Deere Classic).
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Is the first reigning U.S. Amateur champion to win on TOUR since Tiger Woods in 1996.
Is the first sponsor exemption to win on TOUR since Martin Laird (2020 Shriners Children’s Open).
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Dunlay missed the cut in three previous TOUR starts (2022 U.S. Open, 2023 U.S. Open, 2023 Butterfield Bermuda Championship).
Is the first amateur to make the cut at The American Express; only two other amateurs have made starts at the event: Charlie Reiter (2018, 2019, 2020) and Caleb Surratt (2023).
His third-round 60 tied the lowest round by an amateur in TOUR history (other: Patrick Cantlay/2011 Travelers Championship/R2).
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With the win, he is eligible to accept PGA TOUR membership at any time during the 2024 season and receive a PGA TOUR winner’s exemption which includes membership on the PGA TOUR through 2026, exemptions into all 2024 Signature Events (provided he turns pro before those events), the Masters and PGA Championship Qualifies for The Sentry in 2025.
He currently has exemptions into the Masters, U.S. Open and The Open as the winner of 2023 U.S. Amateur. If he turns professional, he will be exempt into the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open as a PGA TOUR winner.
If he does not turn pro (and therefore does not accept PGA TOUR membership), he can still participate in Full-Field Events out of the tournament winners’ category and will play under non-member regulations.
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Dunlap produced a gutsy up-and-down par save on the last for an historic victory over a stellar field which featured 21 players in the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking, including World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
“It’s everything that I dreamed of and just to have a chance on the last hole to win a PGA TOUR event is really special. I was so nervous (on the last hole). It’s a really cool spot to be in as an amateur, and just to be here and be given the opportunity to play, and I don’t ever want to forget today,” said Dunlap, who is in his sophomore year in University of Alabama.
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Dunlap will take his time to determine if he is to join the play-for-pay ranks soon. “That’s something it doesn’t just affect me, it affects a lot of people, coach back there and my teammates, and it’s a conversation I need to have with a lot of people before I make that decision,” he said.
