The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide is set to have a mini-get-together for the final round at the American Express. The Tides members, former and current Justin Thomas and Nick Dunlap, will be turning into each other’s competitors for the day.
Adding a more exciting layer to the mix, the looper of Dunlap, Hunter Hamrick, will face Thomas again, but this time as a foe. It seems that Thomas’s past had been connected to the young prodigy, which he did not expect to deal with.
Justin Thomas’s past ties it back to Nick Dunlap’s success
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It is not shocking that Nick Dunlap’s name is going all over the golf world, and why not? The young golfer has claimed the top spot on the leaderboard after round three of the American Express as an amateur. The class act by the 20-year-old may have astonished many, including Justin Thomas, who is following Dunlap with a four-stroke difference.
Thomas is a former Crimson Tide member and could not have expected to meet his former teammate again. Not Dunlap, but his bag man. Hunter Hamrick had played with Thomas on the Crimson Tide and served as the assistant coach for the team for the past two years. According to the 15-time PGA Tour winner, Hamrick and his relationship go back a long time.
After his 11 under 61 at Pete Dye Stadium Course, during the presser, Thomas revealed his dear connection to Hamrick. He said that Hamrick was one of his best friends in college. Moreover, the two used to spend a lot of time together. Thomas detailed their college days and said, “We roomed together every single week. We hung out a lot. We did a lot of stuff together.”
Although Thomas couldn’t catch up with his past buddy in the past years, American Express has provided a fresh opportunity, as Thomas said that they “have 18 holes to chat a little tomorrow.” Even if that meant that Thomas would get the shock of his life as he faced a ‘freakin college kid’ and had been paired with him for the final round,
Justin Thomas gets taken aback by Nick Dunlap’s impressive round
Nick Dunlap’s run at the American Express is nothing short of remarkable. The sophomore golfer is playing on a sponsor exemption and is on his way to making history. On the event’s third day, Dunlap shot the lowest score on the field.
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The 60 under twelve by the Crimson Tide’s pride became the talk of the town. And the Crimson Tide alum, Thomas, was in awe as well. After his 61 under, the 30-year-old said he was confident yet, “didn’t think I was going to deal with a freakin’ college kid shooting 60 today,” he chuckled.
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The 2023 U.S. amateur champion will be contesting for his first PGA Tour win, becoming the first amateur winner in the last three decades on the PGA Tour. Will Dunlap continue his impressive streak, or will the tide roll in favor of Thomas? Stay tuned to find out.
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