Nick Dunlap has plenty of options after his historic American Express win on PGA Tour
1/23/2024 | by Sean Melia of AmateurGolf.com
What happens if he turns pro following his PGA Tour victory?
Nick Dunlap stunned the golfing world when he won the PGA Tour's American Express. The Alabama sophomore is the first amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to win on the PGA Tour.
The first question that typically gets asked is: Will he get any money for the win?
Dunlap cannot receive any of the purse, which means the runner-up, Christiaan Bezuidenhout will get the winner's payout of $1.512 million.
With his win, Dunlap has a big decision to make. Should he turn pro? Or should he remain an amateur?
"The decision to pro doesn't just effect me, it affects a lot of people. My family, my coach, my team, I need to sit down with them to make my decision."
With the win, Dunlap now has a PGA Tour card through the 2026 PGA Tour season, which he can claim for the next two years.
As a PGA Tour winner, Dunlap would have:
- Status on the PGA Tour through the 2026 season.
- Exemptions into the seven 2024 Signature Events (as long as he turns pro before those events), the Masters, and the PGA Championship.
As the 2023 U.S. Amateur champion, Dunlap has a Masters invite already. His Open Championship exemption as the U.S. Amateur champion would be lost if he were to turn pro.
However, the U.S. Open does not require the U.S. Amateur champion to remain an amateur to maintain the exemption. So, in essence, Dunlap would be swapping a spot in the Open Championship with a spot in the PGA Championship if he were to turn professional this year.
What if Dunlap remains an amateur in 2024?
Dunlap would have 30 days after the 2024 PGA Tour season ends in September to turn pro and have his PGA Tour card for the 2025 season. The same would apply to the end of the 2025 season, where he could claim his PGA Tour membership for the 2026 season. However, Dunlap's membership on the merits of the American Express victory would expire after the 2026 season.
If Dunlap does not turn pro, he could still play in Full-Field Events because of the tournament winners category. As a non-member, he could only play in a maximum 12 tournaments. He could not play in any of the signature events, they are restricted to PGA Tour members.
As one extra wrinkle - Dunlap currently has 11 points in the PGA Tour Accelerated program, which grants college golfers a PGA Tour card if they accrue 20 points in their first three years of college golf.
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