20-year-old golfer Nick Dunlap, who surprised the sports world by becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years, has decided to turn pro, but that won't help him dent his wallet.
Many cried foul as they saw the young man being deprived of the $1.5 million that came with his first place finish at the American Express tournament. It was South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout who went home with the prize in second place on Sunday.
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On Thursday, the University of Alabama student announced he will join the PGA in 2024. He benefits from an exemption until 2026 and can also take part in three major tournaments this year, namely the Tournament of the Masters in the United States Open and the PGA Championship.
“It was the easiest and hardest decision I have ever had to make,” Dunlap said during a news conference on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I'm lucky that everyone had the same opinion as me and my teammates were great and very encouraging.
The American was also the first amateur winner of a tournament since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to collect no points for the FedEx Cup or the Presidents Cup.