Nick Dunlap’s caddie’s remark sparks laughter before the youngster’s victory putt at The American Express 2024
The echoes of Nick Dunlap's victory at The American Express continue to resonate, and so do the little stories that colored the young amateur's performance. Of all the stories, one involving his caddie has delighted fans the most.
The event occurred on the 18th hole of the fourth round. Nick Dunlap managed to reach the green in three strokes and had a five foot nine inches putt for par, which gave him the victory in the tournament.
It was then that Nick Dunlap's caddie, Hunter Hamrick, after helping him line up his putt, told him the following phrase:
"Nick, your Mum could hole this."
In a moment of such stress for the young University of Alabama sophomore, Hamrick's prank served as a sort of release valve. Nick Dunlap cleanly found the hole with his putt and became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
Nick Dunlap's caddie also proved to be a great motivator. So much so that after his incredible third round of 60, Dunlap referred to his caddie's words as the highlight of the day.
This is what he said, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun:
"It was a blast. Honestly, like my caddie Hunter said it a million times today, there's no time like the present. I think it's easy. The putter felt so good. Everything, the hole looked like a funnel."
Nick Dunlap's highlights at The American Express
Dunlap's performance at The American Express was credible in many ways. The Alabama Crimson Tide broke several records for young players on the PGA tour, but his time in La Quinta, California, left much more than that.
Nick Dunlap had two bogey-free rounds, the second and third. On the first day, he made only one bogey, while in the final round, he made a double bogey. In contrast, he had three eagles and 26 birdies.
With his score of 29-under 259, Dunlap set the record for the lowest score for The American Express in its 72-hole format. Dunlap beat the previous record, set by Patrick Reed in 2014, by one stroke.
Dunlap's 29-under is so remarkable that even in the period when the tournament was played for 90 holes (1960-2011), only eight players managed to equal or better that score (Phil Mickelson did it twice).
Likewise, 29 under is one of the best scores recorded on the PGA Tour. The circuit has not reported a better score since The Sentry 2022, when Cam Smith, Jon Rahm and Matt Jones made the top 3, scoring 34 under, 33 under and 32 under, respectively.
Two other players managed 29 under recently. Ludvig Aberg won the 2023 RSM Classic with that score, while Grayson Murray did the same at The Sony Open 2024.