Nick Dunlap playing it cool in pro debut at Pebble Beach

Two weeks after taking the field to school in the California desert, Nick Dunlap is poised for his professional debut on the PGA Tour amid drastically different conditions.

For starters, the 20-year-old Dunlap has shed his amateur status, putting his education at Alabama in limbo following his watershed victory at The American Express at La Quinta, Calif. Dunlap became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since 1991, when Phil Mickelson topped the field at Tucson, Ariz.

While Dunlap's victory was accomplished in warm, arid conditions, his debut this week at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will come amid a rainy and windy forecast along the coast in Monterey, Calif. However, it would appear that nothing can dampen this moment.

"Happy to be here and it's better than being in class," Dunlap said while meeting with the media Wednesday.

A finance major at Alabama, the implications for Dunlap were clear. He had to forgo the $1.51 million winner's share two weeks ago, given his amateur status, but has now given himself the all clear for high-earning potential.

As far as the gamble of leaving school early to begin a career, the odds are stacked in Dunlap's favor. He already grabbed the U.S. Junior Amateur title in 2021 and was U.S. Amateur champion last year. The only other person to pull off that double was Tiger Woods.

His victory at The American Express, while not immediately rewarding financially, moved him atop the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

More important, Dunlap earned PGA Tour status through 2026 with the trophy at La Quinta.

"Hectic, but also really cool," Dunlap said about his life-changing two-week stretch. "I've had numerous moments where you just kind of have to take it all in, it's overwhelming. But also, I've dreamed about doing this my whole life and playing golf on the PGA Tour. To finally be here and to be able to do that as a 20-year-old is pretty cool."

Dunlap has also earned his way into The Masters in April, the PGA Championship in May at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., and the U.S. Open in June at Pinehurst in North Carolina. Outside of that, Dunlap will piece together the rest of his summer as it comes, just like any college-age kid.

"I'm still figuring that out with Hunter (Hamrick), my caddie," Dunlap said about his tournament schedule beyond The Masters. "He's still working with his dad, so we're trying to figure all that out as we speak."

Life as a student isn't completely in the rearview mirror for Dunlap, who said he will either pause the upcoming semester or maybe even take a couple of classes. But right now, real life experience will take precedent.

"Right now I'm just enjoying it, trying to learn as much as I can," said Dunlap, who is paired with Xander Schauffele for the first round Thursday at Pebble Beach Golf Links, one of two courses being used for the tournament. "Playing practice rounds with Scottie (Scheffler) and Sam (Burns), they've obviously proven themselves as some of the best players on the planet.

"So learn from them, learn what they do in practice rounds, how they prepare and try to incorporate that in my own game."