# An amateur has won a PGA event for the first time in 30+ years **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** golf\ **Created:** [January 22, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459 "2024-01-22T01:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/1 "2024-01-22T01:49:24Z")
> **[Nick Dunlap: Amateur wins PGA Tour event for first time since Phil Mickelson...](https://www.bbc.com/sport/golf/68052303)** > > Nick Dunlap held his nerve to become the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson 33 years ago. First time I’ve watched PGA golf in six months because I couldn’t resist this story going into the final day. Kid was leading by three going into the fourth round but I fully expected him to crumble. Instead it was the guy who overtook him that came apart on the 17th and the kid held his nerve on the 18 despite a wayward tee shot. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/2 "2024-01-22T03:33:17Z")
He won on stroke count alone or did his handicap\* (assuming he has one) factor into the score? \*Of course I mean golf handicap, not any disability. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/3 "2024-01-22T03:44:02Z")
Stroke count alone. When this last happened the gap between the PGA and amateurs was considerably smaller. Its more common in Women’s golf to have amateurs in contention, but I can’t even remember the last time any male amateur has been on the first page of the leaderboard on Saturday or Sunday. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/4 "2024-01-22T22:05:53Z")
So after this, does he stay an amateur? ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/5 "2024-01-22T22:26:03Z")
He didn’t receive the prize money\*, so technically he still is. \*It went to the runner-up, who is a pro. [https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/21/sport/nick-dunlap-american-express-pga-win-spt/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/21/sport/nick-dunlap-american-express-pga-win-spt/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/6 "2024-01-22T22:48:08Z")
OK, that sounds like a rip-off. But what I meant was, he’s clearly an excellent golfer, at least comparable in skill to the actual pros (allowing for the possibility that he just had a really good day, and his opponents had a really bad day). Is there a high likelihood that, after this, he’ll go pro for future tournaments? ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2024, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-amateur-has-won-a-pga-event-for-the-first-time-in-30-years/996459/7 "2024-01-27T03:39:53Z")
Sam Bennett, a student at Texas A&M, was in 3rd place going into the weekend at last years Masters, and was T7 going into the final round. There was an amateur (Jordon Niebrugge) that finished T6 in the British Open back in 2015. Another amateur (Paul Dunne) was tied for the lead going into the final. Incidentally, neither Niebrugge or Dunne has made much of an impact as a professional. I don’t think Niebrugge is playing pro golf anymore and Dunne is playing a developmental tour in Europe