Reigning US Newbie champion Nick Dunlap turned the primary novice since 1991 to win a PGA Tour title, profitable a back-nine showdown on Sunday to seize the American Categorical event.
Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore on the College of Alabama, sank the profitable par putt from simply inside six ft on the 18th gap to fireplace a two-under-par 70 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course — one in every of three programs used this week.
Regardless of his victory nonetheless, Dunlap is not going to take house any cash from the win.
As an novice, he’s ineligible for the winner’s prize of $1.51 million, which matches to runner-up Christiaan Bezuidenhout, who completed on 260 after a closing 65.
Dunlap completed on 29-under 259 to set a 72-hole file low profitable rating, breaking the mark of 28-under set by Patrick Reed in 2014.
“I felt this script as we speak was already written,” Dunlap mentioned. “I used to be going to present it the whole lot I had whether or not I shoot 75 or 65 or 70.”
Dunlap turned the primary novice to win a US PGA Tour occasion since Phil Mickelson captured the 1991 Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, Arizona.
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Dunlap additionally turned the second-youngest PGA Tour winner prior to now 90 years, trailing solely Jordan Spieth’s victory at 19 on the 2013 John Deere Traditional.
The historic victory didn’t come with out tension-packed drama.
Dunlap sank a birdie putt on the par-5 sixteenth to share the lead with Twenty fourth-ranked American Sam Burns, who discovered water off the tee on the par-3 seventeenth on the day’s hardest gap whereas Dunlap was on the inexperienced 35 ft from the outlet.
Dunlap made a routine par whereas Burns stumbled with a double bogey and the novice led by two with the par-4 18th remaining.
However forward of him on the 18th inexperienced, South Africa’s Bezuidenhout birdied to drag inside one.
At 18, Dunlap’s tee shot went approach into the suitable tough and his strategy stopped 75 ft from the outlet down a slope.
Dunlap pitched his third to simply inside six ft after which sank his par putt for the victory
“Nothing like I’ve ever felt,” Dunlap mentioned. “It’s so cool to be out right here and expertise this as an novice.
“Whether or not I had made that or missed that, should you would have advised me Wednesday night time I might have a putt to win this golf event, I wouldn’t consider you.”
Sharing third on 261 had been Taiwan’s Kevin Yu, who matched his career-low PGA spherical with a 63, and Individuals Xander Schauffele and Justin Thomas.
Regardless of lacking out on the winner’s verify, Dunlap will develop into eligible to take PGA Tour membership at any time within the 2024 PGA marketing campaign.
Then he would obtain the advantages of any PGA Tour winner, which embrace membership via the 2026 season plus entries into the Masters and PGA Championship and any unplayed “signature” occasions.
Dunlap already has berths on this yr’s Masters, PGA and British Open from his US Newbie triumph if he’s an novice when the occasions tee off.