Amateur on cusp of breaking Phil Mickelson’s 31-year PGA Tour record having matched Woods

No amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 has won an event on the PGA Tour, but college star Nick Dunlap could well be set to end the wait at the American Express

19-year-old college star Nick Dunlap is on the brink of becoming the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since Phil Mickelson 31 years ago in 1991.

Dunlap is in the field at this week’s American Express in California, and heads into Sunday’s final round three shots ahead of second-place Sam Burns at the top of the leaderboard. The youngster finds himself there after carding a remarkable 12-under-par round of 60 on Saturday.

Dunlap made 10 birdies and one eagle during his third round masterclass, to put himself 18 holes away from PGA Tour history heading into the fourth and final round.

The teenager won the title of U.S. Amateur champion last summer, so the spotlight is already familiar to him. That made Dunlap, along with Tiger Woods, perhaps the greatest player in sports history, the only other golfer to win the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur.

Now the 19-year-old has his sights set on matching Woods’ great rival Mickelson too, who won his first PGA Tour event at the 1991 Northern Telecom Open before turning pro. Unsurprisingly Dunlap enjoyed himself out on the course during Saturday’s third round.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “It was a blast. Honestly, like my caddie Hunter said it a million times today, there’s no time like the present. I think it’s easy — the putter felt so good. Everything — the hole looked like a funnel. You got a par-five next hole, I’m going to do this and this.

“He did an excellent job of keeping me in my current location and at ease. In the end, just kind of kept stringing shots together to produce a passable round.”

The young player still has a lot of work ahead of him, as two of the biggest names on the PGA Tour are chasing him.

Ryder Cup star Burns finds himself three shots adrift, whilst multiple major champion Justin Thomas is a further shot back after carding an 11-under 61 of his own. Asked what it would mean to get over the line come Sunday evening, Dunlap added: “Gosh, I don’t know that I can put it into words.

“I believe going there is simple, but I’m not sure. It will undoubtedly be difficult and unlike anything I have ever encountered on the PGA Tour. We just kind of go out there and do us and stay in the present, like Hunter says, and go from there. We have a good game plan for that golf course.”