Nick Dunlap made history by becoming the first player to win both professional and amateur tournaments in the same PGA Tour season. Last Sunday, he won the Barracuda Championship.

The 20-year-old won the American Express tournament in California as an amateur in January and claimed his first professional victory on Sunday.

The American is the first golfer to win twice in a rookie season on the PGA Tour since newly crowned British Open champion Xander Schauffele in 2017.

The tournament uses an unusual points system, with two points awarded for birdies and five for eagles, but points are deducted for bogeys or worse.

Dunlap, who started the day trailing by nine points, made six birdies in his first 12 holes and then sealed victory with an eagle on the 15th and a final birdie on the 17th in a bogey-free round of 19 points for a winning total of 49.

“Never thought that was a possibility,” Dunlap said. “Really happy to be here.”

It was enough to hold off fellow countrymen Mac Meissner, Vince Whaley and Patrick Fishburn.

Whaley closed with a birdie to finish second with 47 points, while Fishburn had his best score of 46 points to finish fourth with 44 points.

Dunlap was given a sponsor’s exemption at The American Express and shot a 60 in the third round, the lowest score ever for an amateur in a PGA Tour event, to win by one stroke.

After becoming the first amateur to win a PGA title since Phil Mickelson at the 1991 Tucson Open, Dunlap turned professional the following week.

Dunlap made a 56-foot eagle putt on the 15th to take the lead with 47 points.

“After I made the putt at 15, we started playing with a lot of adrenaline,” Dunlap said.

On the par-4 17th hole, Dunlap’s approach dropped to three feet for birdie and a par on 18 was enough to secure the win.

js/dh