PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap gives hot take on whether amateurs should be paid for wins - “Kind of suck that you can’t make any money”

Nick Dunlap won the American Express in January. However, the 20-year-old was denied the $1,512,000 first-place check at the event as he wasn’t a pro to collect it. The-then University of Alabama sophomore didn’t receive any payment for the event as amateur players are not allowed to collect paychecks on the PGA Tour.

Months after his win, Dunlap has now come out to state he’s accepting of the ‘no-paycheck for amateurs’ rule. The young golfer, set to tee off at the US Open 2024, said that there should be ‘some kind of end of the week’ to help players like him with the expenses at events. However, he noted that he "honestly don't think” amateurs should be paid in tournaments.

Despite siding with the PGA Tour and its payment structure, Dunlap added that it ‘kind of suck that players (like him) can’t make any money’ at events.

Replying to a media query on ‘should amateurs be paid’, Nick Dunlap said at the US Open press conference in Pinehurst (at 8:38):

“I honestly don’t think so. I think there should be maybe some kind of end of the week to help out with some of the expenses maybe. Weeks like this are expensive, especially at Augusta… It does kind of suck that you can’t make any money, so you’re kind of out of whether it’s five, 10, 15, 20 grand, whatever it is. Some kind of help at the end of the week would be nice.

"I think teeing it up with an ‘A’ next to your name, you know you’re not going to be paid, which is a little bit unfortunate. I wish we could, now saying that after AmEx. Like I said, you know you can’t get paid. Like I said, end of the week would be nice to get something back.”

It is pertinent to note that Dunlap became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson in 1991 when he won the American Express. The 20-year-old golfer even set a tournament record by finishing 29 under at the PGA West Stadium Course. He still missed out on the big check.

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Nick Dunlap on his PGA Tour experience so far

Despite failing to add a big sum to his bank account after the American Express win, Nick Dunlap added some points to his FedEx Cup standings where he currently sits 93rd. Notably, the rookie stands a chance to make the PGA Tour’s playoffs later this year despite being an amateur.

Notably, the golfer played both the Majors so far – the Masters and the PGA Championship. He failed to make the cut at both. However, finishes like T11 at the Houston Open and the T12 finish at the Memorial Tournament seem to drive him forward.

Speaking about his PGA Tour experience so far, Nick Dunlap added:

“It was really, really cool for me to see everything that I kind of worked for come true. Playing out on the PGA Tour, making that putt at AmEx, it’s kind of what I always dreamed of as a kid. Like every putt was to win something… I’m three, four months into it. Kind of starting to get a grasp on it.”

Nick Dunlap will once again tee off at a Major, the US Open 2024, as a rookie this weekend. The golfer will be eyeing a big comeback this time around.