Nick Dunlap, a University of Alabama sophomore, won The American Express tour Sunday but won’t be able to collect any prize money because of his amateur status.
A 20-year-old amateur golfer became a PGA Tour champion Sunday.
Nick Dunlap, a University of Alabama sophomore, won The American Express tour, beating out Christiaan Bezuidenhout by one stroke and finishing the 72-hole tournament at 29-under-par 259.
But the champion won’t be able to collect any prize money despite becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open, per the rules of amateur status.
The $1,512,000 prize will be given to Bezuidenhout, the only runner-up in the tour, as if Dunlap had not been in the field, a spokesperson for PGA Tour confirmed to NBC News.
A tearful Dunlap was seen hugging his family and friends following his historic win.
“I went over a scenario for today probably a million times and it’s never going to go how you planned, and it didn’t,” Dunlap said. “I’m so happy to be standing here.”
Comparisons have been drawn between the 20-year-old champion and Tiger Woods.
Dunlap is the second golfer in history to win both the U.S. Junior Amateur and U.S. Amateur titles after Woods. He’s also the first reigning U.S. Amateur champ to win on the PGA Tour since Woods in 1996.
At 20 years and 29 days, Dunlap is now the youngest amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Chick Evans at the 1910 Western Open.
“It is so cool to be out here and experience this as an amateur,” Dunlap said following his win.
“If you would have told me that, you know, come Wednesday night I’d have the putts to win this golf tournament, I wouldn’t believe you,” he said.
