NICK DUNLAP was hailed as “golf’s Luke Littler” as he became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years.
The 20-year-old claimed the The American Express title by a single shot as his six-foot par putt on the last was enough to pip South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout to the crown.
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Dunlap, the youngest amateur to win since 1910, had missed the cut on his three previous PGA Tour events but said after triumphing in his fourth: “It’s so cool to be experiencing this as an amateur.
“Whether I made or missed that, if you had told me come Wednesday night that I had a putt to win this tournament, I wouldn’t have believed you.”
The legendary Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win a PGA Tour event in 1991, and the six-time major winner posted on X: “Such an impressive performance by Nick Dunlap. Congratulations on an incredible win.”
Dunlap is the seventh amateur to win a PGA Tour event, however, his name was already out there.
He emulated Tiger Woods last year by becoming the second player to win both the US Junior Amateur and US Amateur titles.
Now he has hit the headlines again as his final round yesterday in La Quinta featured a double-bogey six – that was after driving his ball into a lake on the seventh.
The American bounced back from that with three birdies in his following nine holes and finished with two-under 70 to hold off Bezuidenhout.
Dunlap did not receive any prize money for winning the tournament due to being an amateur.
Instead, the £1.18m winner’s cheque goes to Bezuidenhout.
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And when the young gun was asked whether it was now the next natural step to turn professional, he replied: “I don’t know. I have to take a second to let what just happened sink in a little bit.
“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.”
Fans were quick to draw comparisons between Dunlap and darts sensation Luke Littler, who just weeks ago achieved worldwide fame with his displays at the World Championship aged 16.
One posted on X: “The Luke Littler of golf.
“Nick Dunlap just became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991, unsurprising really considering he was shooting 59 at 12 years old.”
Another wrote: “This is a crazy accomplishment.”
A third added: “Golf has just found its next superstar in Nick Dunlap. This man will be winning, and winning a lot.”
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While a fourth said: “Seeing an amateur win a PGA Tour event is so damn awesome.
“Nick Dunlap taught us all to COMPETE, give it your all, use everything as a learning experience and remind us that pressure truly is a privilege.”
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