Nick Dunlap Aims To Defend His American Express Title
9 mins agoNick Dunlap, the 2024 winner of The American Express, returns to La Quinta this week with hopes of defending his title. His impressive 29-under performance last year, which included a four-day scorecard of 64-65-60-70, earned him a one-stroke victory over runner-up Christian Bezuidenhout. In addition to his win at The American Express, Dunlap also triumphed at The Barracuda Championship in 2024. In these wins, he gained 1.42 strokes putting at The American Express and 1.22 strokes at Barracuda — his third- and fourth-best strokes-gained putting marks in PGA events. Dunlap's putting has continued to show promise, as evidenced by his career-best 1.90 strokes gained in putting at The Sony Open last week, leading to a T10 finish. This recent performance suggests his putting could remain a strength this week, but it also shows his reliance on his short game. His struggles in other key areas — ranking 164th in driving accuracy and 163rd in bogey avoidance in 2024 — could hold him back in this low-scoring event, where accuracy and minimizing mistakes are critical. With a stacked field and questions about his consistency, Dunlap may find it challenging to defend his title at The American Express.
Source: Data Golf
Source: Data Golf