For the first time in over three decades, the PGA Tour might have an amateur champion. Nick Dunlap, a University of Alabama sophomore holds the moving-day lead, fending off threats from several PGA Tour pros nipping at his heels. The 20-year-old usurped Sam Burns to take a solo lead in the third round of the American Express.

The penultimate round also saw major names crash out of the competition. None will be more disappointed than Shane Lowry, however. The Irishman finished with four birdies and an eagle in the final round but was one shot behind the cut at 13-under. The Sony Open champion, Grayson Murray, along with Tom Kim, Akshay Bhatia, and Billy Horschel, had to bow out as well.

The top contenders for the American Express title 

It was the day of Nick Dunlap. The 2023 U.S. Amateur Champion scorched the field with birdies and eagles to move up to a solo lead at 27 under. Dunlap started with an eagle on the par-4 first hole, continuing with the red-hot form on the front nine to finish at 30. There were no signs of slowing down, as the 20-year-old made four consecutive birdies from 11 to 14 and rounded off with a par at the 18th hole.

Burns was relentless in his pursuit, but a bogey on the first didn’t augur well. Eventually, the 27-year-old had to settle for 7 under 65 as opposed to Dunlap’s 12 under 60. His buddy, Justin Thomas, however, did justice to the moving day. Like Rory McIlroy, who climbed ten spots in the Dubai Desert Classic, Thomas scaled 14 spots to tie for the second spot in the American Express leaderboard. The 15-time PGA Tour winner went birdie hunting in the back nine, sinking six consecutive birdies to move to 11-under 61.

South African pro Christiaan Bezuidenhout, a three-time winner of the European Tour, is in solo four, while PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Eric Cole is tied for fifth place with Si Woo Kim, Xander Schauffele, Adam Hadwin, and J.T. Poston. Ahead of the final round, here are the pairings and tee times.

Tee times and pairings of the final day

Sam Burns, after paying for a lost college football bet with a horrible sidecut, is paired up with the man behind it all, Justin Thomas. The two are great buddies, yes, but it’s more significant because Nick Dunlap will also join them in the final round. Thomas, notably, is also a University of Alabama alumnus. The top three on the leaderboard will tee off together at 2:02 PM E.T. Here are the full tee times and pairings for the final round of the American Express. 

Read More: The Next Phil Mickelson? Lefty Lauds Nick Dunlap and PGAT’s Young Guns With Utmost Praise Despite Differences

10th tee

You can catch all the action on ESPN+. Additionally, Golf Channel and Peacock will cover the final day of the American Express from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

Watch This Story: Tiger Woods’ Billion Dollar Switch Up 6x LPGA Tour Champion Praises the 3640000000 Giant for a Proud Centurial Triumph in the Sport