Amateur Phenom Nick Dunlap Joins PGA Tour Days After Leaving $1.5 Million On The Table

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You had to be a pretty diehard golf fan to know who Nick Dunlap was ahead of The American Express at PGA West last week, but he made quite a name for himself by winning the tournament as an amateur. That meant he couldn’t secure the massive paycheck he would’ve won, and he’s decided to ensure that won’t happen again.

Prior to last weekend, there were grand total of eight golfers who’d managed to win a PGA Tour event as an amateur (a list that included Scott Verplank and Phil Mickelson). However, that number rose to nine when Nick Dunlap edged out Christiaan Bezuidenhout by a stroke to cap off the four stellar rounds he recorded at La Quinta Country Club.

There was a grand total of $8.4 million up for grabs at the tournament, which included the $1,512,000 check that was reserved for the winner. Unfortunately for Dunlap, the amateur status that allows him to be a member of the golf team at the University of Alabama prevented him from taking home any of that dough.

The 20-year-old had previously won the U.S. Junior Amateur title in 2021 before securing the U.S. Amateur championship in 2023, so while it was safe to assume he was planning on turning pro at some point in the future, he found himself facing a pretty big decision in the wake of his fairly unexpected win (he was listed as a 500-1 longshot before The American Express got underway).

Dunlap was supposed to play in the Farmers Insurance Open this weekend, but he announced he was withdrawing to spend some time with his family back in Alabama following the victory.

There’s little doubt he was going to use that break to think about his next steps, and on Thursday, the PGA Tour announced Dunlap had become its newest member after he accepted the organization’s invitation.

Dunlap will make his official PGA Tour debut at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am next week, and it seems like he had a very bright future ahead of him.