Amateur Dunlap shoots 60, takes 3-shot lead at Amex
LA QUINTA, CALIF. >> Nick Dunlap’s girlfriend flew cross-country Saturday to spend the weekend with him in Palm Springs, so the two college students planned to go get a steak dinner before Dunlap wraps up his day with a little laundry and some homework.
And then on Sunday, Dunlap will attempt to become the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years.
The University of Alabama sophomore fired a 12-under 60 to take a threeshot lead over Sam Burns at The American Express on Saturday, matching the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history.
Justin Thomas shot 61 and was four shots back of the 20-year-old Dunlap, who tore up La Quinta Country
Club and moved to 27-under 189 on the Coachella Valley tournament’s three generous courses.
With 10 birdies and an eagle in his aggressive, accurate round, Dunlap matched then-amateur Patrick Cantlay’s 60 at the 2011 Travelers Championship. Dunlap’s score to par was the best ever by an amateur; Cantlay was 10 under at par70 TPC River Highlands.
Only seven amateurs have won on the PGA Tour since 1945, and only four since 1950. The last to do it was Phil Mickelson, who won the Tucson Open in 1991 as a 20-year-old Arizona State junior.
Burns led after two rounds, but Dunlap flew past him while playing a couple of hours earlier. Burns shot a steady 65 on the Stadium Course to stay in contention after taking the lead with his career-low 61 on Friday.
The final round will be played Sunday on the Stadium Course, where Thomas tied the course record on Saturday. Dunlap shot a bogey-free 65 on the Stadium on Friday for the highest score of his three impressive rounds.
“I think it’s going to be hard either way,” Dunlap said. “Looking at this place, like, it’s supposed to be easy, and guys are shooting low numbers, but you still have to go do it. It’s still a golf course, and you still have to hit good shots. There’s out of bounds everywhere. For (Sunday), there’s a lot of water out there. Just hit one good shot at a time, and try to stack ‘em and give myself a lot of good looks.”
Thomas, who won a national title with the Crimson Tide in 2013, roared up the leaderboard with six straight birdies on his back nine to match the longest birdie streak of his career.
The two-time major champion is winless since his second PGA Championship victory in May 2022, but Thomas will have a chance to catch his fellow Alabama product.
“Didn’t think I was going to have to deal with a freakin’ college kid shooting 60 today,” Thomas said with a grin. “He’s a stud. He’s the real deal. I think how well he’s handled the big moments, it says a lot about somebody. It seems like the bigger the stage, the better he plays. I’ve never played with him before. I probably would have preferred our first time in a practice round.”
Ko ahead by 2 at LPGA Tournament of Champions
Lydia Ko moved closer to her first victory in 14 months, shooting a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Tournament of Champions.
The 26-year-old from New Zealand is seeking her 20th career victory and first since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in 2022. A win would also leave Ko one victory short of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On the heels of a flawless second-round 67, Ko went bogey-free for the second consecutive day at Lake Nona in chilly-for-florida conditions with temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. It helps that she lies on the course and has played it in nearly every type of weather.
Her closest pursuer is 19-year-old second-year pro Alexa Pano, who struggled at times from tee to green but exhibited a crisp short game to stay close to the lead in the elite field of LPGA winners from the past two years.
Pano shot 67, the day’s second-best round. U.S. Solheim Cup player Ally Ewing (68) was alone in third, four shots back. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh (71), Mexico’s Gaby Lopez (71) — a former TOC champion — and Japan’s Ayaka Furue (73) will start Sunday five shots behind.
Ko, a former world No. 1, won three times in 2022 but was winless last year. In 20 starts, she had only two top10 finishes, and she didn’t even qualify to defend her Tour Championship title.