Nick Dunlap had a year unlike any other for a player on the PGA Tour.
The University of Alabama product scored 19 points in the final round of the Barracuda Championship, the fifth and final opposite-field event and also the only one that uses the Modified Stableford scoring system, to capture his first Tour victory as a pro.
But Dunlap had already won the American Express in January to become the first amateur since Phil Mickelson in 1991 to win on Tour as an amateur. His amateur status, though, kept him from collecting the top prize of $1.512 million. Dunlap turned pro shortly after that and now has a second Tour win on his resume. His win this time the second around was good for $720,000.
Dunlap is a likely candidate to ride those credentials to the 2024 Arnold Palmer Award, which honors the Tour’s rookie of the year, but Max Greyserman, Jake Knapp and Matthieu Pavon also have impressive credentials.
The nominees were announced this week by the Tour’s Player Directors and members of the Player Advisory Council (PAC). Voting is currently open for the award, and all Tour players with at least 15 starts in 2024 are eligible to weigh in. Voting closes on Dec. 4 and the winner will be announced just before the year’s end.
Here’s a look at each of the nominees and their accomplishments this season, per the PGA Tour:
Nick Dunlap
Nick Dunlap of the United States reacts to his hole-in-one on the seventh green during the second round of The Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches at PGA National Resort And Spa on March 01, 2024, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
- Entered 23 events with wins (2) at The American Express (as an amateur) and Barracuda Championship
- First player in Tour history to win as an amateur and a professional in the same season
- Recorded top-10s at the Rocket Mortgage Classic (T10) and FedEx St. Jude Championship (T5)
- Qualified for the BMW Championship and finished No. 49 in the FedExCup
- Made 15 cuts in 23 starts
- Earned 2024 PGA Tour membership by winning The American Express on a sponsor exemption
Max Greyserman
Max Greyserman of the US tees off at the 1st hole during the final round of the Zozo Championship PGA golf tournament at the Narashino Country Club in Inzai, Chiba prefecture on October 27, 2024. (Photo by Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP) (Photo by TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
- Entered 26 events with (3) runner-ups: 3M Open (2nd), Wyndham Championship (2nd), ZOZO Championship(T2)
- Recorded additional top-10s at the Texas Children’s Houston Open (T7), Zurich Classic of New Orleans (T4) and World Wide Technology Championship (4th)
- Qualified for the BMW Championship and finished No. 48 in the FedExCup
- Made 19 cuts in 26 starts
- Earned 2024 PGA Tour membership through the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour
Jake Knapp
Jake Knapp at the 2024 FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. (Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal)
- Entered 23 events with a win (1) at the Mexico Open at Vidanta
Recorded top-10s at the Farmers Insurance Open (T3), Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches (T4) and THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson (8th) - Qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs and finished No. 59 through the FedExCup Playoffs (No. 64 through the FedExCup Fall)
- Made 17 cuts in 23 starts
- Earned 2024 PGA TOUR membership through the 2023 Korn Ferry Tour
Matthieu Pavon
Matthieu Pavon plays a shot on the first hole during the first round of the 2024 Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
- Entered 19 events with a win (1) at the Farmers Insurance Open
Recorded top-10s at the Sony Open in Hawaii (T7), AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (3rd) and U.S. Open (5th) - Only rookie to qualify for the TOUR Championship; finished No. 17 in the FedExCup
- Made 15 cuts in 19 starts
- Earned 2024 PGA TOUR membership through the inaugural DP World Tour Top 10
