🏌️♂️Nick Dunlap turns pro after historic American Express PGA Tour win: Is this golf’s year of youth?❓🏌️♂️
But this will also require some patience both from spectators and Dunlap himself. He missed the cut at the 2023 U.S. Open and another alternate field tour event. That isn’t to say a then-19-year-old amateur should be making cuts but to say there will be growing pains. He’ll have to learn to be a pro, but he has the makings of a star.
The year of youth?
So much of this 2024 season was already beginning to focus on the rise of several young stars. Ludvig Åberg took over the sport last fall as he thrived in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory before even playing in a major. Then he won his first PGA Tour event at the RSM Classic to signify his status as a top player by 24.
Danish golfer Nicolai Højgaard, 22, was also on that winning Ryder Cup team and is in his first full PGA Tour season after winning the DP World Tour Championship in November. And that’s before getting into 21-year-old Tom Kim with three PGA Tour wins, Min Woo Lee, 25, becoming one of the hottest players in the world and 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia turning a corner with two top-20 finishes while back on tour.
Oh, and there’s another gargantuan amateur star coming in the long-
Nick Dunlap turns Pro after historic American Express PGA Tour win is this golf’s year of Youth Nick Dunlap the 20-year-old golf sensation who made history by winning the American Express PGA Tour event as an amateur last week is turning professional and joining the PGA Tour the Alabama sophomore announced
His decision Thursday at a news conference on campus 4 days after becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil mikelson in 1991 the win gives Dunlap a tour card through the 2026 season and immediate exemption into all remaining Signature Events it was the easiest hardest
Decision that I’ve ever had to make Dunlap said Thursday I was very fortunate that everyone had the same opinion about it and my teammates were awesome and very very supportive Dunlap enters the professional ranks as a historic Prospect when he won the 2023 US amateur at 19 he became the first
Male golfer since Tiger Woods to win both the US amateur and the US Junior Amateur and his win last week in Linda California makes him the only player to ever take both those trophies and win a PGA Tour event while still an amateur he’s also the second youngest tour
Winner since World War II only behind Jordan spy’s win at 19 Dunlap is already exempt from three of the four major championships his US amateur win already got him into the US Open and his win Sunday puts him into the Masters and the PGA Championship the Open Championship
Exemption criteria has yet to be announced why this is such a big deal this sport is no stranger to Young stars with plenty of hype but Dunlap may be entering the pro ranks with as much excitement and expectation as any male golfer in at least a decade being the
Only man to win both the US Junior Amateur and the US amateur since Woods already added an aura around the 20-year-old Dunlap but his win last week put him in a new category he is no longer just a promising Prospect he is now in a category saved for Venoms like
The young versions of spy and Rory melroy he will be followed closely put in Elite hearings and written about at length but this will also require some patience both from Spectators and Dunlap himself he missed the cut at the 2023 US Open and another alternate field Tour
Event that isn’t to say then 19-year-old amateur should be making Cuts but to say there will be growing pains he’ll have to learn to be a pro but he has the makings of a star the year of Youth so much of this 2024 season was already beginning to focus on the rise of
Several young Stars ludvic auberg took over the sport last fall as he thrived in Europe’s Ridder Cup victory before even playing in a major then he won his first PGA Tour event at the RSM classic to signify his status as a top player by 24 Danish golfer Nikolai Haj Gard 22 was
Also on that winning Ridder Cup team and is in his first full PGA Tour season after winning the DP World Tour Championship in November and that’s before getting into 21-year-old Tom Kim with three PGA Tour wins men wui 25 becoming one of the hottest players in the world and
21-year-old AA Bia turning a corner with two top 20 finishes while back on tour oh and there’s another gargantuan amateur star coming in the long
