Professional particulars ‘whirlwind’ journey from faculty to Tiger’s tourney

“I’ve by no means been to the Bahamas.”

“I’ve by no means seen water this blue.”
 
These are simply the most recent of firsts PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap has skilled in what has been a whirlwind 12 months for the rising star, a 12 months not like another in golf historical past.
 
As just lately as eight months in the past, Dunlap was nonetheless a sophomore on the College of Alabama golf workforce. Now he’s a two-time PGA Tour champion about to make his debut at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Problem within the Bahamas, together with 19 of the very best golfers on the planet.

“It’s fairly particular,” Dunlap stated on Tuesday in his press convention forward the Hero. “Eight months in the past I used to be sitting at a desk with all my teammates taking part in faculty golf. The world’s come at me slightly fast.”
 
In fact, Dunlap’s unbelievable journey to this second began even earlier than he left Alabama. In January, Dunlap performed the PGA Tour’s American Categorical occasion as an novice, incomes a sponsor’s exemption due to his 2023 U.S. Newbie win.
 
It was simply his fourth-career PGA Tour begin. And he received.
 
Whereas Tiger holds three U.S. Newbie titles to Dunlap’s one, Woods by no means received a PGA Tour begin as an novice. Actually, nobody had since Phil Mickelson did it again in 1991.
 
Initially hoping to make the Tour in 2025 by means of PGA Tour College, the American Categorical win fast-tracked these plans, and he turned professional quickly after. Nevertheless it took Dunlap some time to get used to his new life following his meteoric rise.
 
“These first two or three months was, I imply, I didn’t actually know the place to go, what to anticipate, all of the golf programs have been new,” Dunlap defined Tuesday.
 
One other factor so as to add to his rising checklist of “new” experiences in 2024? Out of the blue taking part in alongside the Tour execs he’d watched and admired as a child.
 
“I grew up, and nonetheless do, trying as much as plenty of these guys and for them — for me watching them on TV after which rapidly for them to turn into my friends was slightly new.”

The extreme atmosphere of the PGA Tour life took some adjusting to as effectively.
 
“I feel the early components of the 12 months it was slightly a lot. The media, it was loud, the social media was loud. Sort of center of the 12 months it took me to grasp it. First of the 12 months I used to be all the time trying sooner or later,” Dunlap defined. “Center of the 12 months it took me that is the place I all the time dreamed of being, I’m the place — I’m 20 years previous and I’m residing out my dream. Sort of after I realized that, I began to have extra enjoyable and stay within the second and play every event for what it stands for and simply having fun with being on the market.”
 
However his report reveals that it didn’t take him all that lengthy to get used to the pains of the Tour. In July, Dunlap triumphed on the Barracuda Championship to earn his second PGA Tour win.
 
Dunlap was a member of the victorious 2023 U.S. Walker Cup workforce, who competed and received at St. Andrews final 12 months. However due to the new begin to his professional profession, he’s now eyeing a special workforce occasion: the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
 
“It’s one I might like to be part of,” Dunlap admitted to reporters on the Hero. “I’ve it circled and I’m attempting all the things I can to get on that workforce.”
 
Whereas Dunlap will compete with a bunch of Tour stars he grew up watching stay on TV this week, Woods isn’t one in every of them. At simply 20 years previous, Dunlap is simply too younger to have caught Tiger in his prime. However that doesn’t imply he’s unfamiliar. As is the case with many younger golfers immediately, he nonetheless noticed loads of Tiger’s greatness due to YouTube.

“Yeah, I’m slightly younger, however I positively bear in mind [Tiger in his prime], I’ve seen highlights. I grew up watching similar to all people else did the YouTube highlights and all his data that can by no means be reached, they’re by no means going to be caught ever,” Dunlap stated. “To share slightly little bit of historical past with him could be very humbling. However no, simply to be sitting right here at his event and to be within the Bahamas after I needs to be a junior in faculty is unbelievable and I positively don’t take it as a right.”
 
And in case it wasn’t already apparent, Dunlap confirmed Tuesday that regardless of all he’s achieved previously 12 months, the “awe issue” of how far he has are available such a short while has not worn away.
 
“Even simply displaying as much as golf programs typically, I received to go to a few tournaments after I was youthful and simply nonetheless to form of stroll on to the vary and hit balls, the little child in me remains to be there and it’s nonetheless plenty of enjoyable for me,” Dunlap defined. “Don’t get me incorrect, I’m a competitor and I wish to play my finest, however no, there’s positively that awe issue’s nonetheless there.”
 
One unlucky wrinkle to Dunlap’s 2024 marketing campaign was that as a result of he was an novice for his American Categorical win, he didn’t get to take house the huge $1.512 million winner’s test. However don’t fear about Nick, he nonetheless collected $720,000 for his Barracuda win and one other $760,000 for a T5 end on the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
 
And even when the strain of taking part in along with his idols will get the very best of him this week and he finishes final, Dunlap will nonetheless stroll away with $150,000 and, presumably, a photograph with Tiger Woods,
 
Not unhealthy for a 20 12 months previous.

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