Nick Dunlap cards first career hole-in-one at Cognizant Classic

It's already been an eventful year for Nick Dunlap, who started 2024 as a sophomore at the University of Alabama but now is a PGA TOUR winner. Now Dunlap can add a hole-in-one to his list of accomplishments. Dunlap made an ace Friday on PGA National's par-3 seventh hole to vault into contention at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches.

It was Dunlap's first hole-in-one in his brief PGA TOUR career. He also is the first player to make an ace this week.

The spectacular tee shot on No. 7 came after a strong start to Friday's second round. He birdied the first hole, made eagle on the par-3 fifth hole and was 2 under for the day when he stepped to the 197-yard seventh hole. He pulled 8-iron, hoping to hit it 175 yards and land on the front edge. That's exactly what it did. The ace moved Dunlap to a tie for fourth at 8-under.

"I loved a 7-iron for some reason, and Hunter convinced me to hit the 8. I don't know if you can hear it on the video, but I said right before, I'm like, 'Hey, 175 gets there, right?' He's like, 'Yep, it's perfect.' So all the credit goes to him on that one."

Dunlap was the first amateur in more than three decades to win on the PGA TOUR and turned pro shortly after winning at PGA West in January. He struggled in the start to his pro career, however, finishing 80th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and missing the cut at The Genesis Invitational.

His third start as a pro is going much better, though the celebratory beers will have to wait until Dunlap’s 21st birthday in December.