Five things to know: Nick Dunlap

Editor's note: In his second non-major start on the PGA TOUR, Nick Dunlap leads The American Express after a third-round 60, the second-ever 60 by an amateur at a PGA TOUR event.

Nick Dunlap, the 19-year-old sensation from the University of Alabama, gets a much-anticipated PGA TOUR start at this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship. With a U.S. Amateur victory this summer to go with his U.S. Junior Amateur win two years ago, Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as the only two players to capture both prestigious titles. Here are five things to know about Dunlap ahead of his non-major TOUR debut in paradise.

1. Rises to the occasion

Dunlap made history in August by becoming the second male golfer to win both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur, matching Woods. What’s more, when he closed out the 123rd U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club, Dunlap became the first Crimson Tide golfer to win the tournament since Jerry Pate, who would go on to win eight PGA TOUR titles, in 1974.

Although he will likely fall four titles short of the six-year streak Woods put up in the '90s – three U.S. Juniors, three U.S. Amateurs – Dunlap expressed his admiration for Woods, acknowledging that being mentioned in the same breath was a dream come true.

On the way to the trophy at Cherry Hills, Dunlap took out No. 1-ranked amateur Gordon Sargent (more on him later) and beat Ohio State’s Neal Shipley, 4 and 3, in the championship match. "He's just a winner," Alabama coach Jay Seawell said of Dunlap on the NBC broadcast. "He just has a presence about him."

2. Half of powerful Birmingham duo

Dunlap and Sargent had crossed paths many times before Cherry Hills. They grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, just around 20 minutes from each other and came in contact at a handful of U.S. Kids and state junior events each year. Sargent, a year older, went on to sharpen his game at Shoal Creek and the Country Club of Birmingham, while Dunlap worked at Greystone Golf and Country Club, the site of the Regions Tradition major championship on PGA TOUR Champions.

Dunlap's towering stature and big game contrasted with Sargent's small frame but prodigious length. Sargent's star rose quicker, as he won the NCAA Championship as a freshman at Vanderbilt. Now, as Dunlap gains momentum, the two have grown closer amid a growing mutual respect. After their faceoff in the U.S. Am, Sargent texted the victorious Dunlap to say the tournament was now his for the taking.

They were Walker Cup teammates, too, convincing captain Mike McCoy to “unleash the beast” and partner them up in Foursomes. (They won.) Their partnership rekindled their friendship, with Sargent and Dunlap contributing crucial points in the American team's comeback. As they continue to rise, they are poised to follow in the footsteps of legendary duos like Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, offering Birmingham bragging rights for years to come.

3. Lipped out college golf’s first 59

In a year filled with accomplishments, Dunlap nearly achieved another remarkable feat at the Hamptons Intercollegiate in East Hampton, New York, lipping out a birdie putt on the 18th hole for what would have been the first 59 in collegiate competition.

Dunlap, who had shot 69 in the morning, went on a scorching run in the afternoon, making an eagle and 10 birdies, including six straight leading up to the 18th hole. He was an eye-opening 12-under for the round, and the prospect of college golf's first sub-60 score seemed imminent as he lined up an eight-foot birdie putt on the final hole. Then this happened:

Dunlap became the 18th player in college golf history to shoot 60.

4. Decorated team competitor

As he did at the Walker Cup, Dunlap showcased his skills in leading Team USA to victory at the 2023 World Team Amateur Championship at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club. He shot four straight rounds in the 60s, finishing second at 15-under 273 to help the U.S. secure the Eisenhower Trophy, ending a nine-year drought.

Dunlap, along with Sargent and No. 5-ranked amateur David Ford, were keys to the team's success. The victory capped off Dunlap's summer that saw him ascend to No. 3 in the WAGR and announce himself as one to watch.

5. Ready to Accelerate

Now a sophomore, Dunlap leads the PGA TOUR University Accelerated program. The program that debuted in 2022 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.

Dunlap has 11 points – three from his No. 3 World Amateur Golf Ranking, three from his U.S. Amateur win, two from his Walker Cup appearance, one from appearing in the World Amateur Team Championships and two from his starts in the last two U.S. Opens. He’ll make it 12 if he makes the cut in Bermuda, and will earn more points in his guaranteed starts in the 2024 Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship. At this rate, he will reach the threshold of 20 before his senior year. And even if he doesn’t, he would be a favorite to finish atop the PGA TOUR University Ranking and go directly to the TOUR, following in the wake of Ludvig Åberg.