Nick Dunlap to play his first tournament as PGA professional at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
Nick Dunlap is now officially turning pro after making history. The young golfer won the American Express, the first amateur to do so in 33 years. Now, he won't be an amateur anymore, as he has accepted his membership card.
The 20-year-old sophomore from the University of Alabama has turned heads with his play and will likely have all eyes on him at his debut. He will play the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in his first pro appearance.
Dunlap said via the PGA Tour website:
"It was the easiest, hardest decision that I've ever had to make. I was very fortunate that everyone had the same opinion about it, and my teammates were awesome and very supportive. It goes back to the family that Alabama has; they were very supportive and wanted me to chase my dreams."
Dunlap also added one key element of the tour that made him turn pro:
"The opportunity to pick and choose your schedule on the PGA TOUR is unbelievable."
That's very different from the college schedules he is used to, but he's ready to take the next step. It's not often that young players turn pro so quickly, but it was clear that he had the talent to compete with and beat the best of the best on tour.
His win captured the attention of Phil Mickelson, the last amateur to win the American Express and Jon Rahm. Both of them are LIV Golf standouts, but Dunlap is taking the PGA Tour route.
He is also the second-youngest golfer period to win any PGA Tour event, with only Jordan Spieth doing it at a younger age during the 1940s. It's been an impressive run and Dunlap is ready to take it to the next level.
Nick Dunlap decided to turn pro after a huge win
Since Nick Dunlap was an amateur when he won, he didn't get any FedEx Cup points for his AmEx victory. He will also not get the Presidents Cup points as well and won't be retroactively awarded his winnings from the tournament either. He can get all of those things from events moving forward, though.
After his win, Dunlap withdrew from the Farmers Insurance Open to mull his future. He went home to be with his family. He said via ESPN:
"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. It's a conversation I need to have with a lot of people before I make that decision."
Alabama coach Jay Seawell said:
"If this is what he decides to do, we support him because we've done our job. We've helped him, and he is a valuable part of our team and will be for the rest of his life. And if so, then we'll move forward and we'll support him in that. I'm going to let him make that decision with his family and all that. They've asked me to at least sit in on it, but in the end it will be their decision."