Among amateur players, Nick Dunlap (21, USA, photo), who reached the top of the PGA Tour tournament for the first time in 33 years, is turning professional. On the 26th, Dunlap held a press conference at the University of Alabama, where he is a sophomore, and announced, “I will receive PGA Tour membership and participate in the AT&T Pebble Peach Pro-Am tournament (to be held starting on the 2nd of next month).”

Dunlap, who was regarded as the strongest amateur golfer, won the American Express on the 22nd, setting a record for an amateur player to win the PGA Tour, a feat that has been missing since Phil Mickelson (54) in 1991. Amateur players cannot receive prize money even if they win on the PGA Tour, but if they express their intention to turn pro, they are eligible to play on the tour for two years. Dunlap, who had been debating whether to turn professional, shed tears that day and confessed his pain, saying, “It was the easiest yet most difficult decision of my life.”

As Dunlap turned professional, it became unclear whether he would participate in the Open Championship, one of the four major tournaments. Dunlap was eligible to participate in this year’s Open as the winner of last year’s US Amateur Championship. However, because he has lost his amateur status, he cannot compete in the Open with this status and must meet other entry conditions, such as being within the top 50 in the world rankings. You can participate in the remaining three major competitions as an American Express winner. 스포츠토토맨