Nick Dunlap has a chance to do something special this weekend.

The 20-year-old sophomore at Alabama is tied for third and two shots back of leader Sam Burns at the PGA Tour’s American Express in La Quinta, California, after two rounds. The tournament normally doesn’t give exemptions to amateurs, but Dunlap is no regular amateur.

Last summer, he won the U.S. Amateur, becoming the second player ever to win a U.S. Junior and U.S. Amateur. The other? Tiger Woods.

Only seven amateurs have ever won a PGA Tour event (none since 1991), and the last am to finish in the top five was Michael Thorbjornsen at the 2022 Travelers Championship.

Here’s a look at the seven amateurs who have won PGA Tour events.

The first amateur to win an event on Tour was Middlehoff, who captured the 1945 North and South Open. He went on to win the Masters.

That same year, Haas became the second am to win on Tour, capturing the 1945 Memphis Invitational. He eventually represented the U.S. in the Ryder Cup.

Frank Stranahan is the only amateur to win multiple times, claiming titles at the 1945 Durham War Bond Tournament and the 1948 Miami Open. He was also a powerlifter known as the “Toledo strongman.”

Phil Mickelson said again that LIV Golf is here to stay, and this time he brought strong evidence to support his opinion.

On Wednesday, the three-time Masters champion joined the Pat McAfee show on ESPN and explained why Jon Rahm’s recent signing with the Saudi-funded league is a clear sign that LIV isn’t going anywhere.

Mickelson, a fellow Arizona State alum and close friend of Rahm’s, said that Rahm’s decision created a “bridge” for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to forge a path towards unification.

Although Mickelson reminded viewers that he is not involved with the ongoing PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment fund negotiations, he is certain that Rahm’s move altered those conversations.

“With Jon Rahm signing on, what it’s done is create a bridge and an opportunity for us to come together,” Mickelson explained. “Because the realization is, LIV isn’t going away. That’s what the talk is. It’s ridiculous.”

Mickelson said Rahm’s move to LIV should prompt organizations to rethink their vision for the future of pro golf—including the four major championships and the PGA Tour.

“If we’re the majors and we want to have the best field and keep on the tradition of these great events, we’re going to have to have the best players in the world and create a qualifying system for these players to get there,” Mickelson continued. “If you’re the PGA Tour and you realize that your most important asset is the quality of field and your players, and you are going to keep losing players if you don’t work together—this is a bridge that is now opening those conversations to start Workimg Together

Phil Mickelson has admitted that he should not be involved in the 2025 Ryder Cup for Team USA because he is ‘a very divisive character’ in golf.

As one of the founding fathers of LIV Golf, the lucrative breakaway organization backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), Mickelson has played a major role in tearing apart the PGA Tour.

Many golfers have since followed, such as Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson, while others like Rory McIlroy have remained loyal to the PGA cause and denounced the LIV rebels.

The price he will pay includes denying him further opportunities to be involved with the Ryder Cup, having made 12 appearances and won the trophy on three occasions – in 1999, 2008 and 2016.

His last appearance came back in 2018, and despite being vice-captain for the 2021 team, he fully appreciates that he has no chance of being captain next year.

“I don’t feel I’m the right guy to be involved with the team because I’m a very divisive character right now, if you will, and I understand that,” Mickelson told Pat McAfee.

“The players on the PGA Tour, there’s a lot of hostilities towards me, and I don’t feel I’d be the best leader for them. I knew I was going to take some hits [after going to LIV Golf]. I’m OK with that.

“And as a divisive individual, I don’t think I’m the best unifier going forward for the Ryder Cup and that’s that’s fine because I’ve had so many great memories with it.”

Mickelson goes from hero to villain

In Mickelson’s case, he has gone from being of the U.S’s most cherished players to the enemy in the eyes of some, but he is willing to live with the criticism after choosing the riches promised by the LIV Tour.

He signed a huge $200 million contract in 2022 just for giving his rights to compete in the PGA Championship. A year on from the launch of the new regime in golf, the 53-year-old believes the future is bright.

“I’m excited about the direction of professional golf,” Mickelson said. “I’m optimistic about the future. I’m optimistic about the growth of LIV and I’m optimistic about the global growth of the game.”

Phil Mickelson was the vice-captain of the 2021 Ryder Cup team. It became one of the highlights of his career, given that he led his team in an international tournament. But he might never have that role back. As far as Bethpage is concerned, his chances of being the 2025 captain of the US team seem bleak.

Moreover, his move to LIV Golf has closed doors in several cases. So a chance to play at the Ryder Cup is even a leverage for the Lefty at this point, where only one LIV golfer played in the Ryder Cup last year. Mickelson assessed his thoughts about the Ryder Cup in an interview.

Phil Mickelson Candidly Speaks His Stance About His Ryder Cup Chances

In the Pat McAfee Show, Mickelson talked about his previous Ryder Cup experiences.

But he reflected on the current scenario and how the team might be ignorant towards him.

Mickelson thinks that a captain brings about unification in a team, and he, on the other hand, is divisive and currently not the right person to have the duty of the entire team. Once, Fred Couples disrespected Phil Mickelson, calling him a ‘nutbag’. Couples also commented on his LIV move saying that it would be a waste of money to put $200 million on Mickelson, at 52, to score 74 and 75.

Another reason why which Mickelson might not be considered for the Ryder Cup is his gambling controversy. One of his old friends leaked that he bet $400,000 on the 2012 US Ryder Cup team, the year he was playing. Although Mickelson denied the allegations, the golf authorities might not choose a controversial character.

With Mickelson erased from the captain list, the likelihood comes to Tiger Woods. Moreover, the Hall of Famer won the 2002 US Open at the Black Course. The European team will be led by Luke Donald, and given that the captain led his team to triumph in 2023, the team decided to retain the captain. Now, it is time to see who gets to lead the US team in the future.

Phil Mickelson has called on ‘patience’ within professional golf with the PGA Tour set to miss their framework agreement deadline with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF).

In June the world of sport was left in shock, after the PGA Tour announced they were set to end their feud with LIV Golf, in the way of a deal with PIF and the DP World Tour. On the back of the announcement both sides set themselves a target of December 31 to sign off a deal, a deadline that will of course be missed.

The slow-paced negotiations between the soon-to-be partners has led to growing frustrations within the sport, especially within the fanbases of the PGA Tour and LIV.

This was a point raised by entrepreneur Joe Pompliano on social media on Friday, who claimed golf fans are ‘exhausted’ by the split within the professional game. One man who has been at the centre of the saga is Mickelson, and in response the six-time major champion urged fans that the wait for an agreement would be worth it.

“Joe, I understand what you are saying,” he tweeted. “However, when it is all said and done, the average fan will see all the best players compete against each other way more often than before AND throughout the world. Sponsors will know what it is they are buying and everyone will end up ahead. Let’s all be patient.”

Mickelson’s comments come after the Telegraph reported that the deadline was set to be extended into the New Year. Per the report, the Tour and PIF have reassessed their target, and are now aiming to sign off the agreement by March, prior to next April’s Masters Tournament.

It’s Phil Mickelson this time with a peace offering! The headlines in the golf world were filled with the comments made by Rory McIlroy about LIV Golf a while back. Following the Northern Irishman’s change of heart, this time around, it’s the 53-year-old who extended his hand to the 4-time major champ, all the while pointing out how hard it must have been to admit his “mistake.”

The LIV golfer, in a tweet, mentioned how this is an “opportunity” to “let go of our hostilities.” Adding on, he indicated Jon Rahm’s signing to the Saudi-backed league as nothing short of “a bridge to bring both sides together,” all the while imploring the community to “work towards a positive future.”

The ‘Lefty’ shared the post on his X handle in response to a tweet made by NUCLR GOLF, which reiterated the 24X PGA Tour champ’s comments on the Middle Eastern league. The 34-year-old’s comment on how “judgemental” he had been with the players on the PIF-funded circuit had surprised many in the golfing world, including Tiger Woods’s ex-coach, Hank Haney.

Adding on, the 2-time PGA Championship winner, surprisingly, expressed his disbelief at the fact that the “PGA Tour has done so well for so long.” Moreover, he also commended LIV Golf by pointing out how it has done well to “expose the flaws in the system” while alluding to the inability of the PGAT to guarantee player participation to the sponsors. Well, after listening to the same, the six-time major champ couldn’t help but let bygones be bygones. However, this act by the professionals can’t help but make people wonder if it puts an end to the tussle between the duo.

Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy: The end to an era of feuds?

Ever since the inception of the disruptive tour in June 2022, the two professionals have been engaged in a bitter tussle in the public domain. From taking a jab at McIlroy’s advocation of an “off-season” to work on his game to receiving one back for his gambling controversy, the pair have taken ruthless swipe after swipe at each other for a long time.

Following the inability of the four-time major champ to defend his title at the RBC Canadian Open, the American had tweeted how “LIV would be perfect for him,” alluding to the off-season comment, all the while indicating how he doesn’t think “there’s a team that wants him on it because they’d have to deal with all his BS.” 

Was that all? Not even close! The 2011 U.S. Open champ, after the announcement of the $3 billion merger, expressed his ardent hatred for LIV Golf. He also mentioned how the defectors should be let back in while alluding to the likes of Mickelson and the rest. Down the lane, when the betting allegations against the 53-year-old came to light, McIlroy took to poke the pro in an interview by stating that “he can bet on the Ryder Cup this year because he won’t be a part of it.” ‘Twas ruthless, one must say!

This is but a short list of a long record of back-and-forth riff raffs between the two professional golfers. Anyhow, with the start of the establishment of a newfound banner of peace between the duo, coupled with the soon-to-be-finalized merger, one can’t help but wonder – does this paint the start of a new era in the sport? Only the future knows!

Phil Mickelson, LIV Golf devotee, has expressed his opinion on the PGA Tour missing its deadline of December 31 to sign a framework deal with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia.

When the PGA Tour revealed in June that they would be ending their rivalry with LIV Golf in favour of a partnership with PIF and the DP World Tour, the sports world was taken aback. Following the announcement, all parties gave themselves until December 31 to finalise a deal—a timetable that will undoubtedly be missed.

Growing dissatisfaction within the sport has resulted from the slow-moving discussions between the soon-to-be partners, particularly among the fan bases of LIV and the PGA Tour and the players.

Entrepreneur Joe Pompliano brought up this issue on social media, saying that golf fans are “exhausted” by the division in the professional game. One individual who has been at the focus of the story is Mickelson; in reaction, the six-time major winner told supporters it would be worthwhile to wait for an accord.

“Joe, I understand what you are saying,” he tweeted. “However, when it is all said and done, the average fan will see all the best players compete against each other way more often than before AND throughout the world. Sponsors will know what it is they are buying and everyone will end up ahead. Let’s all be patient.”

Following the Telegraph’s report that the deadline was going to be extended until the New Year, Mickelson made his comments and there is still hope of getting something settled soon. The Tour and PIF have reportedly reconsidered their goal and are now hoping to finalise the deal by March, ahead of the Masters Tournament in April of 2024.

SSG will invest £2.4 billion ($3 billion) in PGA Tour Enterprises as a result of the agreement. Regarding the Tour’s potential merger with LIV Golf, there was some good news, as the circuit also disclosed that it was still in talks with the Saudi fund.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the head of PIF, stated that the fund intended to invest “billions of dollars” in golf as part of the deal once the framework was revealed. In order to enter the professional golf scene, PIF spent an estimated £1.6 billion ($2 billion) last summer to start LIV Golf.