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‘[Nick] Dunlap to LIV!’: Phil Mickelson’s Praise Edges Fans Into Hopes Over an Early Disruptive League Defection

Published 01/21/2024, 10:20 PM EST

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Nick Dunlap may make it to the breakaway league! If the fans had a say. After his historic win at the American Express, the 20-year-old amateur has the whole golf world praising him. Indeed, the victory was nothing short of impressive, and thus, the former record holder praised the young gun.

Phil Mickelson who first called Dunlap the most talented among the amateurs, again applauded him as he triumphed. The comments aimed to lift the spirit of Dunlap took a different turn as fans foreseen the new LIV golfer.

Nick Dunlap becomes the center of praise for Phil Mickelson once again

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Nick Dunlap won the American Express after defeating Christiaan Bezuidenhou by one stroke. The 20-year-old golfer set the record as an amateur to win on the PGA Tour, a feat that was achieved by Phil Mickelson 33 years ago. Seeing his gameplay at the AmEx, Mickelson had counted Dunlap in the most talented group of golfers including Ludvig Aberg and Min Woo Lee.

Now, as he clinched his maiden victory, Lefty was quite impressed with his performance. Taking to X, the 45-time PGA Tour winner, congratulated Dunlap and applauded him for the victory. Mickelson first called Dunlap’s game a display of “impressive performance.”

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Furthermore, wishing him a win, he said, “Congratulations on an incredible win.” He expressed that “This is just the beginning,” implying that there will be more victories and successes for the 2024 American Express winner in the coming days.

With Dunlap etching his name in the annals of golf history and making it to the appraisal list of Lefty, the LIV Golf fans already have a bag full of wishes and also have a bunch of offers on the table for the 20-year-old. Here is what the LIV admirers were expecting for the future:

Nick Dunlap to join High Flyers GC?

Yes, Phil Mickelson has lauded the Alabama native twice in the past week. No, it might indicate a new LIV Golf deal. But looking at the various deals breaking and emerging, the LIV Golf fans were all in if Nick Dunlap would sign with the PIF-backed circuit.

Lefty was praising Dunlap, but this user had another question to ask. They wondered if Dunlap was making it to the High Flyers GC (Mickelson’s team).

Another fan speculated on the deal between LIV and Dunlap and asked Mickelson how much that deal would be worth.

Well, it seems the Mickelson-Dunlap duo has a ring to it, as one fan thinks the two names sound good together. Maybe the 20-year-old could be the Robin to Mickelson’s Batman.

Although Mickelson’s tweet did not imply recruiting for this or any other LIV Golf team, this fan joked that Lefty was already scouting for his league.

One user replied to Mickelson’s tweet and remarked how Dunlap would make a great teammate for him as both hold the same record. And if not his team, he can join another LIV team.

The tweet sparked many questions about Dunlap joining LIV Golf and raised a chant for the same. This fan exclaimed the three-word slogan of “Dunlap to LIV!!!”

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Dunlap’s performance on the La Quinta Greens truly captured the beauty of the gentleman’s game, offering an inspiring tale of what young golfers can do when given the chance. With his first victory resembling that of Lefty, will the future look as bright as what Mickelson has achieved? Only time will tell.

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Written by:

Khambe Huda Imran

808Articles

One take at a time

From a very young age, I, Huda Khambe, have been striving for excellence, and as a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, my endeavor has only amplified. Having grown up watching Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam bag major after major, I couldn?t help but learn more about the intricacies of the sport, and now I combine that knowledge with my inherent storytelling skills and write about the gentleman's sport, bringing news to life for the readers. As a journalist who lives by the motto 'Girls for Girls', I am hellbent on covering the niche aspects of the sport and giving the readers unique insights about the LPGA and women's golf as a whole. Off hours too, my life involves sports of sorts, with me often engrossed in watching livestreams of Valorant and Counterstrike!
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Edited by:

Tushhita.barua

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