CNN –
After stunning the golf world by becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991, 20-year-old Nick Dunlap has decided to take a well-deserved rest.
The American sophomore defied the odds by winning the American Express tournament on Sunday, and his performance made headlines around the world youngest amateur to win a tour event since 1910.
Amid all the excitement and extra attention, Dunlap has decided to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open this week to return home.
“After my life has changed over the last 24 hours, I have decided to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open,” he said in a statement sent through the PGA Tour on Monday.
“I plan to return to Alabama to be with family, friends and teammates. Thank you to Farmers Insurance and American Express for giving me these opportunities.”
Dunlap's big win over the weekend is just the latest in a string of successes that suggest a bright future for the golfer.
With his win at the US Amateur Championship last year, Dunlap joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win both that prestigious tournament and the US Junior Amateur Championship, which Dunlap won in 2021.
Sunday's win now qualifies Dunlap to turn pro at any time and join the PGA Tour in 2024 with automatic membership through the 2026 season, according to PGATour.com.
“I don’t know,” Dunlap said PGA Tour Radio when asked if the win would accelerate his path to becoming a professional.
“I need to take a second to let what just happened sink in a little bit. This is a decision that doesn't just affect me. It affects a lot of people and for now I’m just going to try to enjoy it.”
But even though Dunlap made history by beating a number of professional golfers, his amateur status prevented him from taking home Sunday's $1,512,000 prize.
The first place prize instead went to second place finisher Christiaan Bezuidenhout, with the three players who finished third being paid as if they finished in the three-way battle for second place.