Professional particulars ‘whirlwind’ experience 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 newest of firsts PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap has skilled in what has been a whirlwind 12 months for the rising star, a 12 months in contrast to another in golf historical past.
 
As 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 perfect golfers on the planet.

“It’s fairly particular,” Dunlap mentioned 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 a bit 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 Specific occasion as an beginner, incomes a sponsor’s exemption due to his 2023 U.S. Newbie win.
 
It was simply his fourth-career PGA Tour begin. And he gained.
 
Whereas Tiger holds three U.S. Newbie titles to Dunlap’s one, Woods by no means gained a PGA Tour begin as an beginner. The truth is, nobody had since Phil Mickelson did it again in 1991.
 
Initially hoping to make the Tour in 2025 via PGA Tour College, the American Specific win fast-tracked these plans, and he turned professional quickly after. But it surely 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 listing of “new” experiences in 2024? All of the sudden 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 a bit new.”

The extreme setting of the PGA Tour life took some adjusting to as properly.
 
“I believe the early components of the 12 months it was a bit a lot. The media, it was loud, the social media was loud. Form of center of the 12 months it took me to know 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 outdated and I’m dwelling out my dream. Form of once I realized that, I began to have extra enjoyable and dwell within the second and play every match for what it stands for and simply having fun with being on the market.”
 
However his document exhibits 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 gained at St. Andrews final 12 months. However due to the recent begin to his professional profession, he’s now eyeing a distinct 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 making an attempt every little thing I can to get on that workforce.”
 
Whereas Dunlap will compete with a bunch of Tour stars he grew up watching dwell on TV this week, Woods isn’t certainly one of them. At simply 20 years outdated, Dunlap is just 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 in the present day, he nonetheless noticed loads of Tiger’s greatness due to YouTube.

“Yeah, I’m a bit younger, however I undoubtedly keep in mind [Tiger in his prime], I’ve seen highlights. I grew up watching identical to all people else did the YouTube highlights and all his information that can by no means be reached, they’re by no means going to be caught ever,” Dunlap mentioned. “To share a bit little bit of historical past with him may be very humbling. However no, simply to be sitting right here at his match and to be within the Bahamas once I ought to be a junior in faculty is unbelievable and I undoubtedly don’t take it without any consideration.”
 
And in case it wasn’t already apparent, Dunlap confirmed Tuesday that regardless of all he’s completed previously 12 months, the “awe issue” of how far he has are available in such a short while has not worn away.
 
“Even simply displaying as much as golf programs generally, I acquired to go to some tournaments once I was youthful and simply nonetheless to type 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 flawed, I’m a competitor and I wish to play my greatest, however no, there’s undoubtedly that awe issue’s nonetheless there.”
 
One unlucky wrinkle to Dunlap’s 2024 marketing campaign was that as a result of he was an beginner for his American Specific win, he didn’t get to take dwelling the huge $1.512 million winner’s examine. 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 stress of taking part in along with his idols will get the perfect of him this week and he finishes final, Dunlap will nonetheless stroll away with $150,000 and, presumably, a photograph with Tiger Woods,
 
Not dangerous for a 20 12 months outdated.