Alabama's Nick Dunlap Defeats Neal Shipley, Wins 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship

The Huntsville, Ala. product becomes the second Crimson Tide golfer to win the event, joining Jerry Pate in 1974.

USGA

On Sunday, Alabama Crimson Tide sophomore Nick Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as only the second male to win both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur titles, by defeating Ohio State's Neal Shipley 4-and-3 to secure the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship final at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado. 

If that wasn't enough in terms of exclusive company, Dunlap, who is is still only 19, was the first Alabama golfer to reach the finals since Michael Thompson in 2007. Jerry Pate, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, was previously the only Crimson Tide golfer to win the U.S. Amateur, defeating John Grace at Ridgewood Country Club in 1974. 

Dunlap secured the win before Alabama coach Jay Seawell, and four of his Crimson Tide teammates — Jonathan Griz, Canon Claycomb, JP Cave and Thomas Ponder — who caught an early-morning flight through Atlanta to see him make history. Woods captured each championship three times in a span of six consecutive years (1991-1996), but one else had even done it once. 

“Well, I think it’s only a third of what Tiger’s actually done,” Dunlap said during the presentation of the Havemeyer Trophy. “But just to be in the same conversation as Tiger is a dream come true and something that I’ve worked my entire life for. It’s the hours and hours that nobody sees to try to get to this point and even have a chance to win this trophy. It’s unbelievable; can’t put it into words.”

HE'S ON FIRE! 🔥🔥🔥@AlabamaMGolf's Nick Dunlap now 4 up with 8 to play. #USAmateur pic.twitter.com/SjE2xQVzu7

— USGA (@USGA) August 20, 2023

The final was over 36 holes, and both golfers shot 66 in the morning 18. Dunlap never trailed, but he also could never separate himself from Shipley, a graduate student at Ohio State who birdied the 18th to draw even agin. 

But Dunlap took control in the afternoon by winning the third and fourth holes with birdies, and then par-4 seventh with a par. The turning point came on the ninth and 10th holes, when he sank a 30-foot birdie putt and then successfully navigated a sticky situation to denny Shipley a chance to get back into the match. 

“It was the putt on 9 for me, to be honest with you,” Dunlap said per the USGA. “I think it halted his run. He was going to make that putt, and I think that turned things a little bit.”

On the par-4 10th, he hooked his tee shot to up near a fence, but got to drop away from the obstruction and hit his approach on the green. Dunlap gave a Tiger-like arm pump after subsequently sinking the 17-foot birdie putt for the 4-up advantage.

“I got a really good break on 10, I honestly thought that was out of bounds,” Dunlap said. “It turned out [that I got] relief and I was able to get a swing at it and give myself a look at it, and fortunately I made it.”

Previously, Dunlap topped world No. 1 Gordon Sargent in the Round of 64, Connor Jones in the round of 32, Bowen Mauss in the round of 16, Jackson Koivun, an Auburn signee, in the quarterfinals, and Florida's Parker Bell in the semifinals. He improved to 30-2 in match play since the spring of 2021, including 6-0 this week and during his U.S. Junior Amateur victory in 2021.

Last season, Dunlap led Alabama in average strokes per round at 70.35, which ranked as the second lowest per-round single-season average in program history — good enough to land First Team All-SEC and All-Freshman team honors. 

"He's just a winner," Crimson Tide coach Jay Seawell said on the NBC broadcast. "He just has a presence about him."

They Said It ...

“I learned that I could do it; I always thought I could, but when you’re 5 over through seven and your mind is spinning and you can't see straight, you’re looking at the negative – I think I was in last place at one point,” said Dunlap. “For me to be able to snap out of that, slow things down, back off, whatever it took for me to slow down and get back into my process, I think I just learned that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it.” — Dunlap on opening stroke play at 5-over-par through seven holes at co-host Colorado Golf Club, with a double bogey and a triple bogey. He birdied six of his next 10 holes.

“He just said, soak it all in, man. This is why I practice. This is why I get up early, just for moments like this. The first tee when they announce your name to the last green whether you win or lose, it’s special just to be a part of the United States Amateur and what it stands for. It's awesome.”  — Dunlap on his conversation with caddie Jeff Curl when he was 4 up with four holes to play

“I definitely felt like I could win. I hung in there all day, and a few bad shots, a few bad putts and Nick was right there to take those opportunities. He was really tidy inside of 6-to-10 feet and made a few longer putts, too, so all hats off to him.” — Shipley on Dunlap’s putting

“He absolutely did hang with me. That was a hell of a match. He played amazing. I’m honored just to be in the final match with him.” — Dunlap, on Shipley’s performance

“I didn’t quite get where I wanted to be in golf, but to help Nick and others, there’s nothing better. I feel like I’m a pretty good observer, and I’ve been around some great players in my life. I saw some of the mistakes they made, some of the mistakes I made. I truly believed he was the best player coming into this week, and if we could keep the distractions away, he would shine.” — Jeff Curl, caddie and mentor to Dunlap for the past several years

What's Next

Dunlap, who is No. 9 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, will next play with the U.S team for the Walker Cup, facing Great Britain and Ireland in the Sept. 2-3 match on the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. With the win he also receives entry in the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club, the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon and a likely invitation to the 2024 Masters Tournament.

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