Masters Star Achieves Historic Feat Not Seen Since 1936
Sometimes it's just not your day, and that was the case with Nick Dunlap, 21, one of the most promising new names in golf, during his Masters appearance on April 10. Pretty much nothing went his way, and he recorded one of the worst first-round scores ever at the event.
During the first round, he shot a dismal 18 over par at Augusta National Golf Club, putting him in last place on the leaderboard and even 11 strokes away from the next placed competitor.
With that performance, Dunlap, the 2024 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, became the 11th golfer who couldn't hit 90 in the first round of the tournament and the first player who hasn't been able to break 90 in a decade.
However, Dunlap didn't let the blunder mess with his head, and he recorded a historic showing on April 11, improving his score by 19 shots. With that performance, he finished one-under-par in the second round.
He still won't advance, but his stellar performance on April 11 marked the biggest round-to-round turnaround at the Masters since 1936, according to ESPN.
Even though Dunlap's overall performance probably wasn't what he was hoping to deliver, he has plenty of success to affirm his place in today's golf world. He's a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and considered one of the best, rising players in professional golf.
Dunlap, a former University of Alabama golfer, went pro in 2024 after a thrilling PGA Tour win at The American Express. That victory in 2024 made Dunlap the first amateur in 33 years and third since 1956 to win on the PGA Tour. He also became the youngest amateur to win a PGA Tour event since way back in 1910. Dunlap won his second career PGA Tour in July 2024 at the Barracuda Championship.