After Nick Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event for 33 years at The American Express, the University of Alabama sophomore was expected to make his next appearance on the circuit at this week’s Farmers Insurance Open.
However, following his stunning win at La Quinta, he has announced his withdrawal from the event at Torrey Pines.
A statement published by the PGA Tour Communications X account on Dunlap’s behalf reads: “After a life-changing last 24 hours, I’ve decided to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open. I plan to return home to Alabama to be with family, friends and teammates. Thank you to Farmers Insurance and American Express for giving me these opportunities.”
Statement on behalf of Nick Dunlap pic.twitter.com/9VGwMbjWEiJanuary 22, 2024
Considering the enormity of Dunlap’s victory, as well as the mentally draining final round, which resulted in a one-shot win after he led by three at the start of the day, it’s perhaps not surprising the 20-year-old has opted to take time away from the limelight.
He also has a big decision to make over his future – namely, whether to continue as an amateur or turn pro. That may not be a straightforward decision, because Dunlap is also the current US Amateur champion. That earned him exemptions to The Masters, US Open and The Open. However, if he turns pro beforehand, he would relinquish his spots at the latter two Majors.
On the other hand, by turning pro he would have a PGA Tour exemption through 2026, while he would also book a slot at the PGA Championship. The financial implications of leaving the amateur game behind are potentially huge, too, as a move to the professional ranks would assure Dunlap of a place at all the remaining PGA Tour signature events of 2024 and The Sentry in 2025.
After his historic win, Dunlap offered some thoughts on his next step. He said: "I think it goes back to the new PGA Tour, whether it's the Accelerated program or the U program, that they have given a lot of opportunity to college players to stay in college.
"Obviously with the Accelerated program, you know, Gordon [Sargent] had just got it, and so that's a really cool opportunity. But I've had goals outside of that for a little while, one of them being No. 1 player in the world as an amateur, and I've always wanted to win a ring with Alabama.
"But no, everything kind of moving forward, and as far as me turning professional, that's something that it doesn't just affect me. It affects a lot of people, and that being my teammates and my coach, you know, they, obviously, probably didn't think that I would ever consider turning pro after this week. But, like I said, I need to talk to them and a lot of other people before I make any kind of decision like that."
While we won’t see if Dunlap, who has jumped 4,061 places in the world rankings, to 68th, can repeat his feat at the Farmers Insurance Open, it is unlikely to be long until his next appearance on the PGA Tour. Thanks to his win, even if he keeps his amateur status Dunlap is guaranteed starts at a maximum of 12 full-field events on the PGA Tour this year.
