Highlights
Nick Dunlap makes first PGA Tour hole-in-one, finds himself in contention once again
Douglas P. DeFelice
Nick Dunlap got a signed football from fellow University of Alabama product Tua Tagovailoa on Wednesday. On Friday, he connected on another special deep ball of his own.
After making history in January by becoming the first amatuer to win on the PGA Tour in more than three decades, the newly turned pro is back in contention at the Cognizant Classic. And a hole-in-one helped vault him up the leaderboard during the second round at PGA National.
Playing the 197-yard seventh hole, Dunlap used an 8-iron(!) that landed about 15 feet short of the pin before gently rolling into the cup. Check it out:
Wow, this kid is good. Not that we didn't know that already.
Dunlap was still a sophomore at Alabama when he got a sponsor exemption into the American Express in January. After winning in Palm Springs to match what Phil Mickelson last did at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open, the 20-year-old decided to turn pro.
But his pro career got off to a rocky start by finished last in the limited field at Pebble Beach before missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational. It sure looks like he'll make the biggest check of his young career this week, though, as the ace moved him to eight under and one off the lead midway through his second round.
That money could come in handy if Dunlap has to pick up a bar tab for celebratory drinks later. Then again, maybe he'll catch a break on that because he's still underage. Regardless, it's been one heckuva start to 2024 for the young man.