Nick Dunlap did something that hadn't happened on the PGA Tour in over 30 years. The amateur defeated American Express by one stroke, becoming the first non-pro to accomplish this feat since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
Even more amazingly, he is the youngest amateur player to win on tour since 1910.
He handled the pressure like a veteran, unaffected by his hiccup on No. 7 and his 6-foot par putt on No. 18. Dunlap had ice running through his veins when he made history.
Golf fans couldn't believe their eyes as they watched the 20-year-old University of Alabama sophomore defeat the veteran players.
You can tell by his reaction to his win how incredible it was. One of the best came from his teammates at the University of Alabama. they went crazy When I missed a putt on the team bus.
“Oh my god, he did it. Nick Dunlap, we love you. RMFT,” teammate Canon Claycomb wrote on Twitter.
Golf journalist Claire Rogers mentioned Jason Kelce, whose younger brother found the end zone again during Sunday's Chiefs-Bills game.
CBS sports reporter Kyle Porter said it perfectly. It's magic.
I think a lot of people have become disillusioned with professional golf over the last few years for a variety of reasons.
But the sight of Nick Dunlap walking around crying with his hands on his head, unable to believe he won on tour as an amateur, is a reminder of why so many of us fell into…
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) January 22, 2024
If Dunlap doesn't turn pro after this win, will we see something special at American Express?
American Express NLI contract with Nick Dunlap will start soon
— @wdotnewell (@wdotnewell) January 22, 2024
Nick Dunlap: Turns pro tonight
Any other advice is nonsense!
Congratulations on your historic victory!— Jim McLean Golf (@McLeanGolf) January 22, 2024
Regardless of what his future holds, Dunlap has etched his name into history. It's very rare for an amateur to play in his PGA Tour events, much less win them all.
Last year, golf fans took Texas A&M's Sam Bennett to the Masters. Bennett finished T16 at Augusta National, but played in the final group on Sunday. Now, Dunlap is doing something that not even Tiger Woods could accomplish. Both he and Woods won the U.S. Junior Amateur and the U.S. Amateur, but Big Cat never won on tour as an amateur.
Golf fans want more from Dunlap, and maybe they'll get it if the 20-year-old chooses to turn pro.
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through.If you want to know more about golf, please follow us. @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
