An Iowa resident pocketed $150,000 thanks to amateur Nick Dunlap winning The American Express 2024 cup, while senior Christiaan Bezuidenhout, despite finishing second, took home $1.512 million.
At The American Express 2024, Dunlap was the only amateur, competing with 155 professional golfers including multiple major champions and world number one Scottie Scheffler.
As a result, Dunlap was placed underdog by FanDuel Sportsbook with odds of 500 to 1 to win. With those odds, an Iowa resident invested $300 on Dunlap. On January 23, Fandual Sportsbook announced on X, the new name for Twitter, that the Iowa customer had won $150,000 and would be refunded. In the comments section, account holder Zc1trey said he also made money when Dunlap won The American Express Cup on January 22. However, he only earned $1,002, due to a $2 bet.
At the recent PGA Tour event, Dunlap started last, right behind his South African counterpart Bezuidenhout. When Dunlap entered the 18th hole with a -29 lead, Bezuidenhout was done, at -28 after a birdie putt from 11 feet from the hole.
South African golfer Christiaan Bezuidenhout looks ahead to his putt on the 17th green during the final round of American Express at Pete Dye Golf Club in California on January 21, 2024. Photo: AP
But that putt was a "million-dollar shot." Dunlap parred the final hole, turning -29 into a winning shot, and Bezuidenhout finished second.
Due to his amateur status, Dunlap was not eligible for the $1.514 million prize for the 2024 American Express Cup. Runner-up Bezuidenhout was accidentally promoted to receive the prize for the highest position, according to PGA Tour regulations.
The same thing happened in the Vietnamese professional golf community, at the Vietnam Masters of the VGA Tour in October 2023. At that time, 16-year-old amateur golfer Nguyen Anh Minh finished first with a score of -11 and only received the cup, while runner-up Nguyen Huu Quyet, a professional, only scored -2 but received the championship prize of 180 million VND.
After winning The American Express 2024, Dunlap became the first amateur golfer to win a PGA Tour event in 33 years and once confirmed to turn professional, will receive a full card to play in the top golf arena in the US through the end of the 2026 season. With that victory, Dunlap this week jumped 4,061 places to 68th in the World Golf Ranking (OWGR). This is a record increase in the history of OWGR since its debut in 1986.
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