Surprise Amateur Winner Nick Dunlap Withdraws From PGA Tour's Farmers Insurance Open
A win on the PGA Tour typically comes with a handful of perks: A massive first-place check, FedEx Cup points, a two-year exemption on Tour, major championship invitations and some well-deserved media attention, to name a few. Twenty-year-old Nick Dunlap’s historic win at the American Express might not have come with cash or points due to his amateur status, but it did come with something else: a life-changing decision.
To turn pro or not to turn pro?
After becoming the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991, the Alabama sophomore was presented with several options. Should he turn professional immediately and play in all of the Tour’s signature events as well as the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open? Fly home to Tuscaloosa and finish out his spring season with the Crimson Tide, but play in the Masters, U.S. Open and British Open using his previously earned exemptions as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion? Ruminate on it all and decide later?
For now, it appears as though Dunlap is choosing the latter, delaying his professional career—at least momentarily—despite being exempt on the PGA Tour through 2026.
In a statement provided Monday by the Tour, Dunlap shared he would be withdrawing from the Farmers Insurance Open, which he had previously been invited to play in via sponsor’s exemption. After his win in La Quinta, he also became eligible to play the event as a professional. Now, he will be skipping the week in Southern California altogether.
“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,” the statement read.
“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.”
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 22, 2024
Statement from Nick… pic.twitter.com/W0c4ldLX6O
Whatever Dunlap decides, it is clear the choice will be one that he will take very seriously. On Sunday evening at PGA West, the Hunstville, Ala., native explained why turning professional would require some careful deliberation.
“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, obviously, talk to them and a lot of other people before I make any kind of decision like that,” he said.
Here are Dunlap’s options for the near future.
- Take up PGA Tour membership immediately (or at any point in 2024) by turning professional. In this case, Dunlap will be eligible for all the 2024 signature events on the PGA Tour. He will also qualify for the Masters and the PGA Championship as a PGA Tour winner. He will be exempt from the U.S. Open as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion. (Previously, U.S. Amateur champions could only use their exemption into the U.S. Open if they remained an amateur. The rule was recently changed to allow players to turn professional and still utilize the exemption.)
- Remain amateur and finish the 2024 spring NCAA golf season with Alabama. As an amateur, Dunlap can play in college tournaments, full-field PGA Tour events and the majors that he is eligible for as the U.S. Amateur champion (Masters, U.S. Open and British Open). He would not be eligible to compete in the PGA Tour signature events as an amateur and, of course, cannot accept prize money in any professional event.
- Take up PGA Tour membership in 2025. Dunlap may elect to wait until the following calendar year to utilize his PGA Tour membership (he’ll have a 30-day window at the end of the 2024 season to decide). But regardless, his Tour card will only last through 2026.