There’s no question that there are a lot of golfing fans out there. As hard as I’ve tried I came to the realization that I am not one of them. Not only am I terrible at the sport, but I find it rather dull to watch on TV. I do love the golf shirts and hats, though! I guess you have to be fan to appreciate the skill and strategy involved to enjoy watching it on TV or in person.
A young, up and coming golfer named Nick Dunlop was denied over $1.5 million at the American Express PGA tournament in California recently because of the skill level he’s at. Right now, he’s listed as an amateur golfer on the PGA tour, meaning he couldn’t take the first prize of $1.5 million. Instead, the second place finisher, Christiaan Bezuidenhout of South Africa was awarded the full $1,512,000. I would hope Bezuidenhout bought Dunlop several rounds at the clubhouse after the game!
I’m sure Dunlop knew the rules before going into the tournament, but it still must sting a bit! I’d be sick to my stomach if I had a golf game that good and couldn’t cash in on a prize that would set most of us up for retirement down the road. The good news is, Dunlop can now become a professional golfer on the PGA at any time in 2024. Hopefully he can have another game like he did this past weekend.
Fun fact: The last time an amateur golfer won a major PGA tour event was in 1991 at the Tucson Open. A young 21 year old man named Phil Mickelson won that event. He’d go on to become one of the most successful golfers of all time. Good luck Nick Dunlop!
