via Reuters
Golf – The Masters – Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia, U.S. – April 7, 2022 Tiger Woods of the U.S. reacts on the 18th green after finishing the first round REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
via Reuters
Golf – The Masters – Augusta National Golf Club – Augusta, Georgia, U.S. – April 7, 2022 Tiger Woods of the U.S. reacts on the 18th green after finishing the first round REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
With his 2024 AmEx win, Nick Dunlap has become the talk of the town. The 20-year-old became the first amateur golfer to win a PGA Tour event since 1991. With this newfound fame, debates about his future have also started to emerge. People have started comparing him to Tiger Woods, the person Dunlap considers his idol.
To be fair, the comparison between the two began when Dunlap became the US Amateur Golf Championship winner. While Woods towers over the amateur golfer in many domains, there are some areas where the 20-year-old has left the legendary golfer behind!
Any time you can be mentioned alongside @TigerWoods you are in good company. @johnson_wagner & @BrendonDeJonge talked about Nick Dunlap and more this week.
Full Wagyu & Filet Show: https://t.co/1GXBGN4dPQ
Audio Only: https://t.co/TjldFUsrSi pic.twitter.com/IDCteJGgJH— 5 Clubs (@5ClubsGolf) January 24, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
After his record-breaking win, Nick Dunlap has earned praise from multiple sports personalities. One of the players praising him is Johnson Wagner. The three-time PGA Tour winner praised the 20-year-old for joining the ranks of Tiger Woods in his amateur career.
He said, “He’s sitting at a two-top with Tiger Woods—the only player to ever win the US Junior and the US Amateur.” But Wagner believes Dunlap became a better amateur golfer than Woods by winning the PGA Tour event!
Interestingly, Tiger Woods has not won a PGA Tour event as an amateur. Woods won his third US Amateur title in 1996 and went on to win two PGA Tour events that year. However, he turned pro before winning those events.
Nick Dunlap overtakes Tiger Woods
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
This makes Dunlap the only US amateur title winner to win a PGA Tour event as an amateur! Apart from this, Dunlap also made another record at the 2024 AmEx. He tied the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history during the third round.
Read More: LIV Golf Rumors: Is Nick Dunlap Going to Snub the PGA Tour After Turning Pro?
Carding a 60, Dunlap matched the amateur record set by Patrick Cantlay. Furthermore, his 12-under performance relative to par establishes a fresh amateur record! Cantlay had previously set this record during the 2011 Travelers Championship. The amateur star scored 29-under 259 remarkably which shattered the 72-hole record for the lowest winning score by Patrick Reed in 2014 mark of 28-under.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
With all these record-breaking stints in his amateur career, the 20-year-old will be a force to be reckoned with when he turns pro. But will he be able to achieve the laurels that Tiger Woods has? The answer to this question only time will tell.
Watch This Story | LIV Golf News: 3 Major Takeaways as the $3B PGA Tour-PIF Merger Deadline Gets Extended, as Per Reports
