Nick Dunlap, the lone amateur in the field of 156, took the early third-round lead in the $8.4 million The American Express Saturday with birdies on six of his first eight holes at La Quinta Country Club.
Dunlap began Saturday’s play on the 10th tee tied for third at 15-under 129, two strokes behind leader Sam Burns, then birdied the 11th through 14th holes and 16th and 17th. After completing his first nine holes at 3 under 30, he also birdied the first and fourth holes on the front nine.
An amateur has not won a PGA Tour event since 1991 when Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open in Tucson, Arizona.
Burns and fellow American Eric Cole are tied for second, two strokes off the lead.
Burns held a one-stroke lead over fellow American Michael Kim through two rounds after shooting an 11-under 61 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Friday, his lowest 18-hole score in his 138 PGA Tour starts. His previous best was 62, which he accomplished twice in his , most recently in the 2023 BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
Kim shot an 8-under 63 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course after being among nine golfers tied for 14th, three strokes off the lead.
Dunlap and South Korean K.H. Lee were tied for third at 15-under 129 through two rounds, two strokes off the lead.
First-round co-leader Alex Noren and former UCLA standout Patrick Cantlay were among six golfers tied for fifth at 14-under 130, three strokes off the lead.
Burns entered Friday’s play among 16 golfers tied for 23rd, four strokes off the lead. He began his bogey-free round with three consecutive pars, had an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole then birdied each of the next three holes. Burns also had an eagle on the par-5 11th hole and birdied the 13th through 16th holes.
“Overall, just a really solid day,” said Burns, who said his eagle on the fourth hole “kind of kick started my round a little bit. I hit a lot of quality shots and was able to make some putts.”
The 127 equals Burns’ low opening 36-hole score on the PGA Tour. He also accomplished the feat at the 2021 AT&T Byron Nelson.
The 27-year-old former LSU standout is a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, most recently in the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
After bogeying the par-4 ninth hole to finish the front nine at 3-under 33, Kim birdied six of the next seven holes, with only a par on par-4 13th interrupting his streak. He completed his round with back-to-back pars.
The 10 birdies by the 30-year-old alum of San Diego’s Torrey Pines High School were the most he had in a round in his 198 PGA Tour starts.
Dunlap, a 20-year-old sophomore at the University of Alabama, shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 on the Pete Dye Stadium Course on Friday, including going 6-under on the front nine with six birdies.
The 2023 U.S. Amateur champion parred each of the first eight holes on the back nine, then sank a 6-foot, 3-inch putt for a birdie on the par-4 18th hole to complete his round.
“The putter got hot early,” said Dunlap, who has Hunter Hamrick, the Crimson Tide’s assistant men’s golf coach in 2022 and 2023, as his caddy. “It was a little similar to yesterday. Hunter kept reminding me, it doesn’t really matter where the birdies come, whether that’s early or late or wherever, just try to stay in the present, and if you’re making birdies, just kind of roll with it.”
Dunlap shot an 8-under 64 at the Nicklaus Tournament Course on Thursday. He entered Friday’s play among nine golfers tied for fifth, two strokes off the lead.
“Drove it a lot better today,” Dunlap said Friday. “I think I hit the majority of the fairways. Obviously, it’s a lot easier playing from there than the rough, and hoping for a tree bounces like I was yesterday sometimes. Obviously, played really nicely and the putter was rolling pretty good all day.”
Scottie Scheffler, the world’s top-ranked men’s golfer, shot a 6-under 66 at the Nicklaus Tournament course and was among 10 golfers tied for 26th at 11-under 133, six strokes off the lead. He entered the round among 15 golfers tied for 39th, five strokes off the lead, after firing an opening-round 5-under 67 at the La Quinta Country Club.
Zach Johnson, the other first-round co-leader, shot a 3-under 69 at the Nicklaus Tournament course, dropping into a six-way tie for 11th, four strokes off the lead.
Rico Hoey, the former Rancho Cucamonga High School and USC standout who was born in the Philippines and entered Friday’s play tied for one stroke off the lead, shot a 2-under 70 at PGA West Stadium Course, dropping into a 10-way tie for 26th, six strokes off the lead.
The field will be reduced to the low 65 and ties following the conclusion of the third round.
The tournament is scheduled to conclude Sunday with the remaining golfers playing at the PGA West Stadium Course. The winner will receive a tournament-record $1.512 million.