Nick Dunlap had a pretty great feat of achievement this year. The 20-year-old golfer earned his first two career victories this year. He began the season by defeating Christiaan Bezuidenhout with one stroke and winning the American Express in January. Last month, he also won the Barracuda Championship, defeating Vince Whaley by two strokes.

Well, grabbing his first-ever PGA Tour victories was not the only feat that Nick Dunlap earned this year. He also turned pro and made his debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but could not fare well on the field. He bagged the 80th position with a 5-under score. Despite having had a pretty decent year, his dreams of playing in the FedEx Cup playoffs might be slipping away!

Will Nick Dunlap make it to the FedEx Cup Playoffs?

The University of Alabama student became the first amateur to win on the Tour in 33 years, a feat last achieved by Phil Mickelson in 1991. Although he accepted the Tour membership within a week, he did not earn FedEx Cup points for his La Quinta victory (amateurs don’t get the points). He received hard training sessions with his practice round partner, Scottie Scheffler, who is not just No. 1 on the OWGR list but ranks at the top even on the FedEx Cup list.

The grueling effort by both pro golfers quickly helped Nick Dunlap jump into the top 70 mark, however, a missed cut at the 3M Open dropped him down to 65 (projected ranking) on the FedEx Cup list. Still, Dunlap earned a way into the Wyndham Championship (only the top 70 players get to participate).

SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio even shared his official recording where he regrets not having played well at the Pebble Beach Pro in which he was heard saying, “Hopefully I can rewrite some of those goals.”

Which players might surpass Nick Dunlap?

Ranked 66 (projected) on the FedEx Cup list, Jhonattan Vegas has earned a total of 680 points this season (21 points less than Dunlap). He won the 3M Open Championship last month, which the 20-year-old failed to make the cut. Just one good week for Vegas will raise him up to Dunlap’s position. He is followed by Emiliano Grillo, the golfer from Argentina, is still hungry for a victory this season. With just two top-10 finishes (the Sony Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational), the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge winner is looking forward to etching a name in the playoffs. He is just one point behind Vegas at 679.

Next on the list is Seamus Power; he is yet to perform of the season, and who knows, maybe he has been saving it for last. He has earned a total of 675 FedEx Cup points this season, and a win on the tour will grab him at least 300 to 500 points, lifting his rank to the top 30. Last but not least, Brendon Todd, has 668 points. With two top-10 finishes this season, the 39-year-old has a chance of entering the playoffs. However, he will try to have a better grip on the chances, and if he does end up succeeding, it could spell trouble for Nick Dunlap.

Not to forget Victor Perez, who currently has a projected rank of 70 thanks to his score of 633 is also one golfer to look out for. Do you think 20-year-old Nick Dunlap will be able to make it to Memphis? Let us know in the comments section below!