It was the pinnacle of a moment for Nick Dunlap when he won the American Express as an amateur on a sponsor exemption. However, once he turned pro, his form started dwindling, finishing 80th in his second start at Pebble Beach. From winning his first PGA Tour event, Dunlap was now struggling to even post finishes inside the top 10. However, things changed when Dunlap won his second PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship. Coming into the FedExCup Playoffs, Dunlap had much to prove.

In his debut at the FedExCup Playoffs, the 20-year-old shot an impressive 13 under 256 and finished T5, after missing two consecutive cuts. Noticing the difference, Dunlap was asked about his journey from Pebble Beach to his current form at the press conference. Taken up by emotions, the 2-time PGA Tour winner said, “Gosh, I don’t even know where to start. From the results, it’s not night and day but it is to me.” Reflecting on his play over the past 21 events, Dunlap admitted, “I was kind of struggling.”

However, he shared that he felt he was improving, even though the results weren’t reflecting it. At the St. Jude Championship, the rookie was determined to regain his form and play the best golf he could. Now, the Crimson Tide alum was confident in his skills and noted the areas he had improved. He said, “Especially driving and my 3-wood and my chipping, I’ve gotten that a lot better.” 

Dunlap was grateful that he could showcase his improved putting and driving, ranking 4th best in Greens in Regulation, hitting 69.44% at TPC Southwind. But that wasn’t all that the St. Jude Championship offered the 20-year-old pro. Playing well at the first FedExCup Playoff event had its advantages, and Dunlap was extremely satisfied with his performance.

Nick Dunlap takes a sigh of relief

Nick Dunlap was far from certain to make it to the second playoff event, the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club, as he was ranked 68th in the FedExCup Standings. It was a make-or-break situation coming into the St. Jude Championship, and Dunlap successfully did the latter! After carding a T5 finish, Dunlap jumped 20 spots in the standings and qualified for the BMW Championship the following week.

It was an exciting moment, but all the 20-year-old could do was sigh. When asked about it, Dunlap expressed, “Just relief, honestly. A lot of hard work. I kind of knew what I needed to do for this week, just to kind of keep the season going.” Furthermore, the Tuscaloosa native shared that he was having much more fun playing golf and was thrilled to continue playing and learning for another week.

With everything that has been going on in Dunlap’s off-the-course life, the 20-year-old has not let it distract him and has focused primarily on his game. Heading into the BMW Championship with newly found form, Nick Dunlap may very well be the one on the podium!