The folks of Huntsville knew him as the boy who wouldn’t leave. Growing up near the Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, Alabama—with his home exactly 100 yards from the club’s sixth hole—the boy, then 10, would ride his bike to the club every morning. Like clockwork, he’d spend the whole day hitting balls, and would only return home just before closing time. Upon returning, he’d stash his bike outside his house, and quickly run toward the sixth hole to practice some more. “There would be a crater in the middle of the sixth fairway the next morning,” one club member said. As the youngster slowly honed his golfing skills, his moniker would then change: He’d soon come to be known as the boy everyone hated playing against.

One day, the club’s head pro Jon Gibbons found himself bombarded with complaints. Several club members had bemoaned Nick Dunlap’s presence. Guys were getting super ticked. They didn’t want him to play tournaments. They knew he would win,” Gibbons said. The result? “I had to tell him not to play.” Yet, the boy never gave up. Alabama still remembers when, at 12, Dunlap would go on to win a local tournament by 13 shots after shooting 59. They also remember that particular day when Dunlap carried his mentor and former Korn Ferry Tour player Jeff Curl’s bag for nine miles in 100-degree heat, returned to the hotel—where Curl would be unable to move from exhaustion for the rest of the day—and again embarked on a two-mile run to the gym. “That’s when I knew we’re not the same; it’s just a different way of being wired,” Curl had said.

And, since then, the young phenom has not just turned heads for his game, but also for the intricate devotion he had toward not ever giving up. That same attitude pushed him to become the second-youngest winner on TOUR in the last 90 years, and the only player to win the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Amateur and a PGA TOUR event as an amateur. But even folks like him are met with hurdles. But how he bounced back is definitely one for history books. At the terrifying Masters—where legends are created and dreams frequently fall apart—21-year-old Nick Dunlap witnessed the latter yesterday. Uncharacteristically, the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, who was hailed for winning both amateur and professional titles in the same season, sank, shooting 18 over par, 90, the worst first-round score at Augusta since 2015. ​

Instead of running away from the limelight, Dunlap faced his challenge head-on like he always has. Avoiding the simple path of pretending to be hurt or retreating, he went back to his rented house and practiced nonstop till the wee hours of the morning. His perseverance paid off the next day, as he displayed the tenacity that has characterized his early career with an impressive 1-over-73 in the second round. His story, however, wasn’t defined by defeat but by the raw honesty and resilience he revealed in a single social media post.

When it comes to revealing your innermost weaknesses, golf is one sport that doesn’t hold back. And following the competition, the young golfer shared a candid, emotional statement on Instagram that shocked the golf community. He posted a picture of himself, seeming emotionally and physically exhausted, and wrote in the caption, “Golf: The most humbling and humiliating yet exciting and rewarding game there is. In possibly the lowest point I’ve ever been golf never fails to teach you lessons. It’s the worst feeling to put everything you have day in and day out into something and feel as if you’re getting worse and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. No one sees or talks about the rough and struggling times.”

“People, including myself, only skip straight to the good and don’t think anything like this would ever happen. Until it does. One thing I have learned is to never quit and to always keep moving forward. No matter what. It will in fact get better and it will be quite rewarding when it does. Not sure if anyone needed to hear this but I needed to hear myself so excuse me lol. Time to keep moving forward,” he further added.

Notably, there’s a deep history behind this vulnerable statement. Dunlap has been forthcoming about his mental health issues, and his openness about it stood in stark contrast to the glitzy, victory-only world of professional sports. But Friday served as a much-needed respite. In Round 2, Dunlap made a comeback to Augusta National and achieved an incredible 1-under-par 71, improving his opening round score by 19 strokes. It was the biggest single-round reversal at the Masters in more than ten years. That score was a declaration of resilience rather than merely an indication of recovery. His second round featured four birdies, astute course management, and a significantly better short game, particularly on the harsh Augusta greens.

However, behind every flawless swing and post-round interview, is a human struggling with pressure, self-doubt, and the need for perfection is what his message served as a reminder of. Additionally, this was not the first time Dunlap addressed his thoughts outright on social media. Previously, when he was interviewed, he stated, “I think, in golf, or in life, it’s easy to get caught up in the results. And out here on tour that can happen a lot. Every shot, every round, every event, there’s a result. A number beside your name. Strokes gained on every swing, every putt. Points to be gained and lost. Standings for this and that. It’s a lot. And if you don’t stop every once in a while, if you don’t just look around and enjoy the process, I think it’s easy to get lost out here.”

The ups and downs of athletic performance can be elaborated with an instance; after winning the American Express in January 2024, Dunlap, who is only 21 years old, became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour tournament since Phil Mickelson in 1991. However, the Masters served as a reminder to him and the rest of us that your resume is irrelevant to golf. It humbles, enlightens, and degrades. His Instagram confession was more than just a way for him to vent; it was a voice for all golfers who have ever considered giving up. And in exchange?

The golf community jumped up and cheered instead of only listening. So, let’s take a dive into the reactions of the fans.

Community rallies behind Dunlap’s honesty and heart

Even though golf is known for its subdued formality, Dunlap’s statement emotionally touched a chord. Boyd Summerhays, an established PGA Tour coach and mentor to numerous young golfers, was among the first to voice his views. He wrote, “US Junior Champ, US Amateur Champ, two PGA Tour victories already for a reason❤️🙏Much Respect.” Summerhays’s remarks were affirming as well as encouraging. Dunlap’s attitude towards the sport is the reason behind his achievement, as Summerhays has pointed out. With poignant insight, LPGA player Jessica Korda also added, “Showed a lot of heart, that counts … always.” Being someone familiar with the emotional highs and lows of the sport, Korda’s reply says a lot. Her remarks supported the notion that a player’s perseverance, not their stats, defines them. Even her sister Nelly Korda liked the post.

Famous golf journalist Amanda Balionis went a step further and shared about this comeback on her Instagram Story. The story was a post by the PGA Tour account that had the caption, “Love this from Dunlap. After an opening round 90, he fought back and turned in a -1/71. Respect.” Dunlap’s comeback is an inspiration to fellow golfers that there is always a chance to turn the tide when you persevere.

A powerful fact was repeated by fellow golfer Evan Thompson, who wrote, “Couldn’t have said it any better brother! The resilience is truly inspiring to us all.” Thompson, who has experienced setbacks in competitive golf, found Dunlap’s candor to be very relatable. It was about life, not just about golf. “You could have taken the easy way out, but you still showed up day 2 and played so well. Onward and upward Nick,” said another fan, encapsulating what many were thinking. Nick, keep moving forward! That one sentence sums up what truly won the respect of Dunlap fans—not the 71 on day two, but the choice to come back after day one.

The final remark that brought everything together was made by Adidas Golf, his sponsor and one of the most well-known companies in the game, “You got this, Nick! You inspire us all.” As per the brand, Dunlap’s journey from defeat to redemption exemplifies the true greatness in the sport. That open display of support from a well-known company highlights how much the golf community views Dunlap as a rising star with the perseverance to succeed rather than as a letdown. Dunlap’s Masters week, which went from mockery to awe, maybe the most potent reminder that greatness isn’t determined by success but rather by perseverance.