Nick Dunlap reacts to his ace during the second round of the 2024 Cognizant Classic. | Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images
Nick Dunlap, who became the first amateur in over 30 years to win on the PGA Tour, is looking to do it again at the Cognizant Classic.
Nick Dunlap made history in January at The American Express, where he became the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson did so in 1991. He was also the youngest to do so since 1910.
But he made his own history again on Friday, recording his first-ever hole-in-one as a PGA Tour professional.
He accomplished the feat on the par-3 7th, which measured 197 yards Friday.
Dunlap’s spectacular shot vaulted him up to 8-under for the time being, hovering around the top of the leaderboard for the first time since his win in the Coachella Valley.
It also happened to be his second eagle of the day. Dunlap made a three on the par-5 3rd hole, draining a 38-footer.
But funny enough, in the group ahead of Dunlap, Chris Kirk nearly made a hole-in-one as well.
Kirk, playing alongside Rory McIlroy and Jake Knapp, who won last week’s Mexico Open, hit a near-perfect shot on the 7th.
And yet, unlike Dunlap, Kirk suffered a brutal lip-out, which left McIlroy’s mouth agape.
Alas, the 7th hole at PGA National has played as the easiest par-3 on Friday, playing 0.05 strokes under par. It ranks as the 14th most challenging hole during the second round, much unlike the three other par-3s, which all rank in the top six in terms of difficulty.
Wild winds have also created plenty of problems for much of the field, which explains why second-round scores are three shots higher than those seen during the opening round on Thursday.
But thus far, Dunlap has been able to manage the blustery conditions, as he aims to win his second career PGA Tour title.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
