Nick Dunlap will take a three-shot lead into the final round of The American
Express tournament as he chases the first win by an amateur on the PGA Tour for 33 years.
The University of Alabama student, 20, shot 10 birdies and an eagle in a third round 60 – equalling the lowest round by an amateur in a tour event – on the La Quinta course to follow his second round 61 as he moved into pole position on 27-under-par.
Phil Mickelson was the last amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 1991.
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Amateur Nick Dunlap praised his caddie for keeping him settled as he shot 12-under par 60 to secure a three-shot lead at the American Express.
Overnight leader Sam Burns is three shots back after a 65 at the Stadium Course, one of three used for the tournament and the site of the final round, where Justin Thomas equalled the course record with a 61 to sit a further stroke back.
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout is the only other player within six shots of the lead.
Playing as a sponsor’s invite, Dunlap is the first amateur to make the cut at the event and while he will not collect the $1.5m (£1.18m) prize money, a win would secure his PGA Tour card for two years.
Dunlap fist-bumps with his caddie after sinking a birdie on the ninth
“I made a lot of putts,” said Dunlap. “The putter felt really good. I don’t think I missed anything that I should have made, per se. I don’t have any negatives after that round. I did everything pretty well.”
The 12-under score relative to par is a new amateur record.
After his round, Dunlap admitted that shooting a 59 did cross his mind.
“On 17, I did (think about it),” he said. “I ran it by, I wasn’t leaving that one short. No – and (caddie) Hunter (Hamrick) mentioned it on 18. He’s like: ‘let’s go ahead and make this.’ So, no, I did.”
How it stands at the top of the leaderboard heading into Sunday’s final round in California
A quintet of players finished Saturday tied for fifth at 20-under 196: Eric Cole (shot 66 on the Nicklaus Tournament Course), South Korean Si Woo Kim (66, Stadium Course), Adam Hadwin of Canada (66, La Quinta Country Club), J.T. Poston (64, Nicklaus Tournament Course) and Xander Schauffele (63, Stadium Course).
Watch the final round of The American Express on Sunday and see if Nick Dunlap can make history live from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream golf and more top sport with NOW.