The amateur golfers who have won on tour

It’s one of the rarest accomplishments in golf.

Very few golfers can enjoy the distinction of being one of the only amateur golfers to win on an elite tour. The professional game is as competitive as it has ever been and wins are hard to come by for most elite pros – never mind amateurs.

That is what made Nick Dunlap’s victory at the 2024 American Express so impressive. The 20-year-old became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since a young Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Open back in 1991.

Dunlap impressively held his nerve to hole a six-foot par putt down the last to overcome a field including US Ryder Cup players Justin Thomas and Sam Burns.

• The 7 amateur golfers who won a major championship

And the American is the first male amateur to win a tournament on either the PGA Tour or DP World Tour since Shane Lowry famously claimed victory at the Irish Open in 2009.

He becomes only the eighth amateur to win in PGA Tour history, while Lowry joined only two other amateurs to win on the formerly known European Tour.

Like the select number of amateur winners of pro tournaments before him, Dunlap does not receive any prize money for his big win, with the winner’s cheque at the American Express going to runner-up Christiaan Bezuidenhout.

After Dunlap’s famous win, here is the complete list of amateur golfers who have won on tour…

Amateur winners on PGA Tour

Cary Middlecoff, 1945 North and South Open
Fred Haas, 1945 Memphis Invitational)
Frank Stranahan, 1945 Durham War Bond Tournament
Frank Stranahan, 1946 Kansas City Invitational
Frank Stranahan, 1946 Fort Worth Invitational
Frank Stranahan, 1948 Miami Open
Gene Littler, 1954 San Diego Open
Doug Sanders, 1956 Canadian Open
Scott Verplank,1985 Western Open
Phil Mickelson, 1991 Northern Telecom Open
Nick Dunlap, 2024 American Express

Amateur winners on DP World Tour

Pablo Martin Benavides, 2007 Estoril Open de Portugal
Danny Lee, 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic
Shane Lowry, 2009 Irish Open

Amateur winners on LPGA Tour

Polly Riley, 1950 Tampa Open
Pat O’Sullivan, 1951 Titleholders Championship
Catherine Lacoste, 1967 US Women’s Open
JoAnne Carner, 1969 Burdine’s Invitational
Lydia Ko, 2012 CN Canadian Women’s Open
Lydia Ko, 2013 CN Canadian Women’s Open