Alabama junior player also earned a berth in the U.S. Amateur
Nick Dunlap has had quite the summer so far
Since March, Huntsville’s Nick Dunlap has had quite a run on the junior golf circuit.
Playing out of Canebrake Club in Athens, Dunlap has two wins, a pair of second-place finishes and a fifth-place finish in his past five tournaments. He also won a U.S. Am qualifier.
His most recent eye-opening performance came at the Boys Junior PGA Championship in Louisville, Kentucky, where he flirted with a third win. Dunlap held the first-round lead with a 64 and eventually settled for a tie for second place, three shots behind Caleb Surratt of North Carolina.
Nick Dunlap lands a spot in the U.S. Amateur
Nick Dunlap also recently qualified for the U.S. Amateur Championship at nearby Burningtree Country Club. He finished the Boys Junior Championship at 13-under-par 271 after rounds of 64-70-67-70. Surratt rode a third-round 62 to the title.
A University of Alabama commitment, Nick Dunlap’s five-tournament run began in March when he won the Dustin Johnson World Junior. From there, he tied for second place at the Wyndham Invitational and tied for fifth at the Western Junior Championship before notching another win at the Polo Junior Golf Classic.
He’ll head to the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Aug, 9-15 looking to add to his resume.
Southeastern Junior Golf Tour results
Burningtree Junior Classic
Gabriella Nicastro, Will Abernathy and Tristin Wisner recently collected victories at the Burningtree Junior Classic.
Nicastro, of Huntsville, shot rounds of 72-77 for a two-round total of 149 to win by three shots over Decatur’s Jinger Heath (76-76). Berry’s Ashlee Allen finished third (82-73) at 155. Lucy Cook (West Point, Mississippi) was fourth at 156 and Mary Charles Davis of Auburn was fifth at 157.
Will Abernathy of Athens took first place in the boys 12-13 division with back-to-back rounds of 85. Huntsville’s Wilson Schmitz was second.
In the boys 14-19 division, Hartselle’s Tristin Wisener needed a playoff to beat Athens’ Jackson Mitchell after they tied at 138. Decatur’s Ryley Heath was third at 141 and John Bruce of Guntersville was fourth at 147.
Southern Junior at Saugahatchee
Birmingham’s Taylor Trible is one of the hottest junior girls golfers in the state. The rising senior at Spain Park High School in Hoover, Trible won the Alabama Women’s Amateur match play event and also picked up a win at Saugahatchee.
Trible shot rounds of 73-73 for a two-day total of 146 to edge Pike Road’s Yvette Gordon (78-70) by two shots.
Auburn’s Esha Gupta and Opelika’s Kylee Lynn tied for second at 154, eight shots back.
Players from Georgia took the top three spots in the 14-19 boys division, with Colby Bennett (Greensboro) shooting 67-70 to win by four shots over Hunter Smith (Statham), who shot 71-70. Brooks Hollingsworth (Canton) was another shot back at 142 along with Auburn’s William Stelt.
For more SJGT results, click here.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
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