First amateur to win on PGA Tour for 33 years won't receive a penny of his seven-figure prize money

A 20-year-old student has become the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991 - but he won't receive the competition's seven-figure prize sum.

Nick Dunlap won The American Express title in La Quinta, California, on Sunday after a one-shot win over Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

Dunlap, who brought his homework with him to complete between rounds, is the youngest amateur winner on the PGA Tour since 1910.

He's in esteemed company. Dunlap is the youngest amateur winner since three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson 33 years ago.

When asked about his future immediately after the win, the University of Alabama student told reporters: "I have no idea, I really don't. It's really cool to have that opportunity in the first place.

"Starting the week, if you would have said, 'hey, in five days you're going to have a PGA Tour card…' I would have looked at you sideways.

"But that's something that it doesn't just affect me.

"It affects a lot of people - coach back there, and my teammates - and it's a conversation I need to have with a lot of people before I make that decision."

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Winners of the American Express title usually get to take home the cool sum of $1.5 million (£1.2 million), but Dunlap won't receive any of that due to his amateur status.

Per the United States Golf Association (USGA), Rule 3.1 - 'Playing for Prize Money', states: "An amateur golfer cannot play for money in a golf match, exhibition or other competition such as a tournament.

"The USGA enforces the rule to maintain a clear distinction between amateur golfers and professionals. The USGA offers one exception to the rule:

"Amateurs can keep prize money for winning a hole-in-one contest during the course of a tournament. But the amateur cannot accept money for winning the tournament overall."

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156 players took part in the early season 'West Coast Swing' and Dunlap was the only amateur involved.

He admitted he was the most nervous he's been in his young career. Dunlap added: "Just tried to breathe, but also look up and enjoy it a little bit.

"I probably had a thousand different scenarios in my head of how today was going to go, and it went nothing like I expected. I think that was the cool part about it. That's golf."

Topics: Golf

Daniel Marland

Daniel is a social editor for SPORTbible after moving from the writing team. Nearly scored past Stormzy at Old Trafford once.

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