First US win in the event since 2014
Led by Alabama natives Gordon Sargent and Nick Dunlap, Team U.S.A stormed to the title at the World Amateur Team Championship Saturday at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
Dunlap, from Madison, finished second in the individual standings, while Sargent, from Mountain Brook, finished tied for fifth place along with David Ford, the third member of Team USA.
The American team shot 36-under 540 to win by 11 shots over Norway and Australia. France finished 12 shots behind. It was the first win for the U.S> in the event since 2014. In all, teams from 36 countries competed in the World Amateur Team Championship, which is organized by the International Golf Federation.
Dunlap, a sophomore at the University of Alabama, shot 15-under 273 to finish second, just a shot behind Kozuma Kobori of New Zealand, who shot 65 in the final round to finish at 272.
Sargent, a junior at Vanderbilt who earlier in the week reached the 20-point threshold in the PGA Tour University Accelerated Program to ensure Tour status upon his turning professional, shot 71 in the final round to slip to fifth place at 275.
Ford shot the best final round, an 8-under 64, to move into a tie with Sargent for fifth place.
Being a part of the winning U.S. team capped a tremendous summer for Dunlap. In June, he won the Northeast Amateur title and followed that with a win in the North and South Amateur Championship. In August, Dunlap became the first player from north Alabama to win the U.S. Amateur Championship.
As a member of the Crimson Tide, he flirted with a 59 in the Hamptons Intercollegiate before settling on a 60 in the second round. He finished second in the tournament and helped the Tide to the team title. He also took medalist honors at the SEC Match Play tournament sponsored by Jerry Pate.
Dunlap and Sargent also were a part of the winning U.S. Walker Cup team in September.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
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Featured image of Nick Dunlap, David Ford and Gordon Sargent courtesy of Steve Gibbons/USGA
