U.S. Amateur champ Nick Dunlap in contention at The American Express

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Nick Dunlap’s “welcome to the PGA TOUR” moment came from 20 feet below the putting surface of the 16th green on PGA WEST’s Pete Dye Stadium Course.

In the iconic greenside bunker after his second shot on Friday, Dunlap’s stomach started to churn. The moment hit the college sophomore. Not that he was playing a PGA TOUR event — the current U.S. Amateur champion has played on this stage several times before. But he’s never made a cut in a pro event, much less contended in one.

That will all change this weekend for Dunlap, who successfully knocked it to 15 feet from out of the towering bunker en route to a second-round 65, a tie for third at 15-under and a weekend full of well-earned nerves.

“Pressure's a privilege,” Dunlap said after the round, admitting he was very nervous as he closed the round. “I got a great opportunity to be here, and to feel what I felt on 16, 17, 18, I'm sure it's — hopefully, if I keep playing well, it's only going to magnify.”

As will the spotlight on the current University of Alabama standout. Dunlap, 20, is attempting to become the first amateur to win a PGA TOUR event since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open. A win would earn him a TOUR card.

Dunlap has the pedigree to believe it’s possible. He shot 59 as a 12-year-old at Highland Golf Club in Birmingham, Alabama, as part of a decorated junior career. He’s currently the No. 3 ranked amateur in the world, behind only Gordon Sargent and Christo Lamprecht. Dunlap beat Sargent on his way to a dominating victory at the U.S. Amateur last summer at Cherry Hills Country Club. With the win, he joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur. And he does so with an intensity and competitiveness that rivals a young Woods.

All that to say, Dunlap isn’t surprised to be in this situation. Nervous, yes. Overwhelmed by the moment, no. At least not yet. With the nerves peaking down the stretch, Dunlap deftly navigated the dangerous par-3 17th and made par. Then he birdied the closing par-4 with an approach shot that settled 6 feet from the hole.

The implications of what a win would mean were too much for Dunlap to grasp post-round. There’s no need for his mind to go there with two days left anyway. He will play La Quinta Country Club on Saturday, the last of the trio of courses played for The American Express, before returning to the Stadium Course on Sunday. For now, he’s perfectly content soaking up the experience and the California sun.

“I went from riding in the back of a Sprinter van at Alabama to. … driving a (BMW) X5 around the whole week,” said Dunlap, who is playing this week on a sponsor exemption. “It's freezing cold (at home), and I'm out here playing in perfect conditions and great golf courses, so I've enjoyed it.”

But Dunlap could hammer the gas pedal on an ascension already speeding toward a PGA TOUR card if he shines on the weekend. He entered The American Express with 11 points in the PGA TOUR University Accelerated program, which gives a pathway directly to the TOUR for over-achieving underclassmen who dominate college golf. Its first successful graduate was Sargent, who hit the 20-point threshold in October, giving him the choice to accept PGA TOUR membership after the conclusion of the 2024 NCAA National Championship.

Assuming Dunlap makes the cut at The American Express this week (he’s currently seven shots above the cutline, which finalizes after Saturday’s third round), he will earn a 12th point. If he finishes inside the top 20, he will get another point. That’s when it could begin to snowball. He can earn more points at next week’s Farmers Insurance Open, which he’s playing on a sponsor exemption. Then, barring an injury, Dunlap will earn a point each for teeing it up at the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship as the reigning U.S. Amateur champ. A made cut in any of those events brings more points, as do end-of-season college awards.

In short, earning a TOUR card is becoming a when, not if, situation for Dunlap. It could come on Sunday, next week, this summer or next year. But it’s coming.

Dunlap is just enjoying the (rather luxurious) ride.