Hero amateur Nick Dunlap turns pro

Following in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, is some serious golfing stock and Nick Dunlap managed to do just that at the American Express last time out. 
 
Both Mickelson and Woods were the last two players on the PGA Tour to win an event as an amateur and Nick Dunlap’s triumph has propelled him into the mix with many domestic and international betting sites. 

Many golfers go through a long and distinguished career without winning an event on the PGA Tour but for 20-year-old amateur Nick Dunlap, winning on the PGA Tour has seemingly come naturally. 
 
In winning the American Express Championship at La Quinta, Dunlap instantly found himself propelled to the forefront of world golf and the youngster looks to be on the cusp of a huge future in the game. 
 
The US Junior Amateur and US Amateur champion has long been touted as a star of American golf but in winning a PGA Tour event, he looks to have fully broken into the big time. 
 
Delirious Dunlap 

Making just his 4th start on the PGA Tour, Nick Dunlap belied both his inexperience of top-level golf and his infancy on the PGA Tour, to hold his nerve at the American Express. 
 
With the likes of Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the chasing pack closing down on Dunlap, he held his nerve to triumph by one shot – lifting the infamous title with a final score of 29 under par. 
 
The joyous scenes that followed were matched by a fair few punters and online betting sites, with Dunlap having been as far out as 500/1 at the start of the tournament.  
 
Financial Fail 

The sport of golf continues to carry many old quirks and fables from years gone by and for Nick Dunlap, a lack of dollars in the bank account will be the only thing that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. 
 
Being an amateur in the sport of golf means that whilst a player is entitled to hold a place in the field, they are not eligible to pick up any prize money for their performances. 
 
Despite winning the title, Dunlap was not eligible for the $1,512,000 of prize money, with the champions purse going to runner-up Christian Bezuidenhout instead. 
 
Progress to the Professional ranks 

Winning an event of the magnitude of the American Express will certainly push Nick Dunlap into the eyes of punters and betting apps, and who knows how far the 20-year-old can go. 
 
Having now turned pro, Dunlap has secured entry to the Masters, the USPGA Championship and the US Open – with a busy 2024 ahead for the youngster. 
 
With a spot in the British Open up for grabs too, Nick Dunlap looks ready to take on the golfing world and become a household name for many years to come.

Winning a tournament as an amateur hasn’t happened on the PGA Tour for 33 years but Nick Dunlap brought that run to an end in style at the 2024 American Express. 

Quickly turning from amateur to professional, will enable Dunlap to access prize money from now on and the 20-year-old looks to have a very bright future in the game.