Will Nick Dunlap turn pro? Star Alabama golfer can join PGA Tour for 2024 season

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Nick Dunlap's statement he has withdrawn from the Farmers Insurance Open.

Nick Dunlap won The American Express golf tournament Sunday in La Quinta, California, but in reality he did much more than that.

With a 2-under 70 on Sunday, which brought him to 29-under for the event, the Alabama sophomore golfer became the first amateur to earn a PGA Tour victory since 1991 — 12 years before Dunlap was born. At 20 years and 29 days old, he also became the youngest amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1910.

Dunlap was already plenty accomplished even before last weekend. Last year, he won the U.S. Amateur, making him the first golfer since Tiger Woods to capture both the U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Junior Amateur.

REQUIRED READING: Alabama sophomore Nick Dunlap earns first PGA Tour win for an amateur since 1991

The Huntsville native is coming off a 2023 fall season with Alabama in which he finished among the top eight entrants in each of the three tournaments he played and was a back-to-back recipient of SEC Golfer of the Week. As a freshman in 2022-23, he was a third-team Ping All-American and a first-team All-SEC honoree.

While Dunlap, as an amateur, isn’t able to receive the prize money that his win would have otherwise netted him, his achievement has raised the question of when he might opt to turn pro.

Here’s what you need to know about Dunlap’s looming decision and what it might mean for his future at Alabama:

Will Nick Dunlap turn pro?

In the moments following his victory, Dunlap was asked in an interview with PGA Tour Radio about his future.

Understandably, he was non-committal while still enjoying and processing what was likely the biggest achievement of his young and promising career.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I have to take a second to let what just happened sink in a little bit. That’s a decision that’s not just about me. It effects a lot of people, and obviously I’m going to try to enjoy this. It’s a conversation I need to have with a lot of people before I make that decision.”

In an encouraging sign of what Dunlap’s future might bring — at least on the course — the previous amateur to win a PGA Tour tournament was Phil Mickelson, who did so at the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, Arizona in January 1991. Mickelson remained at Arizona State for the rest of the season and for the 1991-92 season, opting not to turn pro until after he graduated in 1992.

Following Dunlap's win at The American Express on Sunday, he announced he would withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open.

REQUIRED READING: How much did Nick Dunlap win after The American Express victory? Payout, purse breakdown

Nick Dunlap PGA Tour decision timetable

Between his victory Sunday and his win at the U.S. Amateur, Dunlap has a number of exemptions for professional events.

His U.S. Amateur triumph gave him exemptions to three of the four majors — the Masters, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. After Sunday, he also has exemptions to play in all 2024 PGA Tour signature events, provided he turns pro before they take place, as well as the PGA Championship. He is also exempt for The Players Championship, regardless of whether he turns pro.

Dunlap’s exemptions to the Masters and The Open Championship are tied to him remaining an amateur, though his win Sunday makes him exempt for the Masters and PGA Championship regardless of his status. The U.S. Open allows the U.S. Amateur champion to play in the tournament even if they turn pro.

Dunlap is eligible to take up PGA Tour membership any time during the 2024 PGA Tour season. If he opts not to, he has 30 days following the end of the 2024 season, which will happen on Sept. 1, to turn pro and become a member for the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Will Nick Dunlap turn pro? Alabama star can join PGA Tour for 2024