LA QUINTA, Calif. — Nick Dunlap's girlfriend flew across the country Saturday to spend the weekend with him in Palm Springs, so the two college students planned to have a steak dinner before Dunlap wrapped up his day with some laundry and some homework.
And then on Sunday, Dunlap will try to become the first amateur to win on the PGA Tour in 33 years.
The University of Alabama sophomore shot a 12-under 60 to take a 3-stroke lead over Sam Burns at The American Express on Saturday, matching the lowest round by an amateur in PGA Tour history.
Justin Thomas shot 61 and was 4 shots behind 20-year-old Dunlap, who destroyed La Quinta Country Club and advanced to 27-under 189 on the Coachella Valley tournament's three generous courses.
With 10 birdies and an eagle in his aggressive and precise round, Dunlap matched then-amateur Patrick Cantlay's 60 at the 2011 Travelers Championship. Dunlap's par score was the best ever by an amateur; Cantlay was 10 under at the par-70 TPC River Highlands.
“The putter felt so good,” Dunlap said. “The hole looked like a funnel.”
Only seven amateurs have won on the PGA Tour since 1945, and only four since 1950. The last to do so was Phil Mickelson, who won the Tucson Open in 1991 as a 20-year-old Arizona State junior.
Dunlap is the first amateur to have a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour since Paul Dunne at the 2015 Open Championship. Dunne shared the lead with Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen entering the final round, but shot 78 on Sunday to finish tied for 30th place.
Burns led after two rounds, but Dunlap blew past him while playing a couple of hours earlier. Burns shot a steady 65 on the Stadium Course to stay in contention after taking the lead with a career-low 61 on Friday.
The final round will be played Sunday on the Stadium Course, where Thomas tied the course record on Saturday. Dunlap shot a bogey-free 65 at the stadium on Friday to earn the highest score of his impressive three rounds.
“I think it's going to be tough either way,” Dunlap said. “Looking at this place, it's supposed to be easy, and the guys are shooting low numbers, but you still have to do it. It's still a golf course, and you still have to hit good shots. There are out of bounds everywhere. For [Sunday], there's a lot of water out there. “Just take one good shot at a time and try to accumulate them and give me a lot of good looks.”
Thomas, who won a national title with the Crimson Tide in 2013, moved up the leaderboard with six consecutive birdies on his back nine to match the longest birdie streak of his career.
The two-time major champion has not won since his second victory at the PGA Championship in May 2022, but Thomas will have a chance to catch his fellow Alabama product.
“I didn't think I was going to have to deal with a damn college kid shooting 60 today,” Thomas said with a smile. “He's a stud. He's the real deal. I think how well he's handled big moments says a lot about someone. It seems like the bigger the stage, the better he plays. I'd never played with him before. I probably would have preferred our first time on a practice round.”
Sunday's final grouping will be an Alabama affair, of sorts: Burns is an LSU product and a sworn enemy of the Crimson Tide, but he currently has “RTR,” the acronym for “Roll Tide Roll,” shaved into his head after of losing a soccer bet with Thomas.
“Nick is a great player and I think he has a good head, so I think it will be a really difficult challenge for us. [Sunday]” Burns said. “He's playing very well.”
Dunlap joined Tiger Woods last year as the only winners of both the US Amateur and the US Junior Amateur. He played in the last two US Opens due to his amateur success, but The American Express is only his fourth PGA Tour event.
Dunlap is the only amateur in the 156-player field playing on a sponsor exemption. He is the first amateur to make the cut in the event long known as the Bob Hope Desert Classic, but he will not receive the $1.5 million first-place prize money or 500 FedEx Cup points if win. However, he would get a PGA Tour card and playing privileges for two years.
Dunlap would also be the second-youngest winner since 1931. Jordan Spieth was 19 years old when he won the John Deere Classic in 2013.
Dunlap began Round 2 with shots ahead of Burns, but quickly jumped out to the front with six birdies in his first eight holes. He made three more birdies after the turn before holing a long putt for eagle and finishing with a final birdie on the par-4 18th.
South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout was fourth with 21 under par. Xander Schauffele shot 63 to join a group of five players at 20 under par.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler made the 54-hole cut at 14 under after his third-round 69 on the Stadium Course.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
