Nicholas Dunlap is an American amateur golfer. He won the US Junior Amateur in 2021 and the US Amateur in 2023. Dunlap’s victory at The American Express in 2024 made him the first amateur to win a PGA Tour tournament in 33 years. With his triumph, he became the PGA Tour’s youngest amateur winner since 1910.
Early Life of Nick Dunlap
Dunlap, an only child, was born on December 23, 2003 in Huntsville, Alabama, to parents Charlene and Jim Dunlap. The family briefly relocated to Greenville, South Carolina, before Dunlap’s freshman year of high school, and he was homeschooled upon their return to Alabama.
Dunlap showed talent in golf at an early age at his home club, Greystone Golf & Country Club. In 2021, Brian Speakman, Greystone’s lead instructor, remembers Dunlap as “extremely athletic” as well as a “pretty high-level” baseball and football player. He was a finalist in the NFL’s Punt, Pass, and Kick competition in 2013. Dunlap shot 59 in a junior competition at Highland Park Golf Course in Birmingham, Alabama, when he was 12 years old, winning by 13 shots.
Examining the Development of Nick Dunlap’s Career Thus Far
The golfer from Hunstville’s noteworthy early accomplishment occurred in 2018 when he took home the Alabama State Junior Championship. He proceeded to place second in the Notah Begay III Junior Golf National Championship later in 2020. He finished as a runner-up once more in 2021, missing out on the Junior Players Championship and the Boy’s Junior PGA Championship.
But for Nick Dunlap, 2021 was a truly unique year. Both the AJGA Polo Golf Junior Classic and the Dustin Johnson World Junior were won by him. He became the first-ever native of Alabama to win the US Junior Amateur that same year. His victory secured him a direct berth in the 2022 US Open.
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Dunlap joined the University of Alabama in 2022 and started playing golf for the Alabama Crimson Tide. He is a sophomore now, working on a finance degree. He won the Northeast Amateur, the North and South Amateurs, and the Linger Longer Invitational during his college career in 2023.
In 2023, Nick Dunlap accomplished a unique achievement by winning the US Amateur. He became the second golfer in history to win the US Junior Amateur and US Amateur, following the legendary Tiger Woods. He was invited to the US Open in 2023 as a result of his triumph. The 20-year-old amateur golfer also competed for the United States on winning Eisenhower Trophy and Walker Cup squads.
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Dunlap has so far made two significant appearances: in 2022 and 2023 at the US Open. He was not cut in either of the two cases.
At The American Express in January 2024, Dunlap shared the amateur record for lowest round score in a PGA Tour tournament with Patrick Cantlay. After winning the competition, he made history by being the first amateur golfer to win on the Tour in thirty-three years.
Nick Dunlap’s talent will undoubtedly make him a major star on the PGA Tour in the near future. Seeing how he handles himself after receiving so much love and support from supporters following his first victory would be fascinating!