THE MODERATOR: We would like to congratulate Nick Dunlap, winner of the Barracuda Championship, two-time PGA TOUR winner and first player in history to win as an amateur and as a professional in the same season. How does that sound?
NICK DUNLAP: It's kind of neat. (Laughing). It's really cool. Yeah, I never thought that I would have my name next to that, but it's definitely an honor. It's been a little tough after AmEx. You know, you kind of lose a little bit of confidence and wonder if you can do it again. I truly have the greatest team and they support me, they believe in me, they push me, and they're the reason that I'm here.
THE MODERATOR: Going back to that first win as an amateur, how do you come off from going straight from college to then as a professional or do you reassess and kind of make those goals?
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, your expectations go through the roof a little bit and I knew I needed to get a lot better at a couple different aspects of my game and one of them was driving the golf ball and chipping, and I've worked very, very hard. I started working with Josh Gregory a couple months ago. He's helped me tremendously with my short game and kind of structuring my practice out here, and those two things have gotten a lot better and that's kind of the things I've been focusing on.
THE MODERATOR: Going back to the start of the day, I heard you were grabbing some change to grab laundry, but what was the mindset heading into this final round, knowing you were behind, but with this format?
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I think this is a golf course where -- obviously with the Stableford, it's nice, you never really feel like you're out of it. You know, you make an eagle or two and you're right there. I hadn't made an eagle yet this week, so that was kind of the goal and just play aggressive, not reckless. This course, it allows you to make a lot of birdies if you're in position and that was just kind of my goal, was hit it in the fairway and attack as many pins as I could.
THE MODERATOR: Coming down the stretch on that final nine, what was the conversations between you and Hunter.
NICK DUNLAP: He's awesome. He's cool as a cucumber all the time. The moment never waivers him at all. He's always the exact same, he talks to me the same, our process is the exact same. No, he said something yesterday where -- we didn't exactly know where the wind was on a specific hole. I didn't know if it was off the left or off the right, and he goes, Hey, man, the ball's going to go wherever you hit it, so just hit it straight. I'm like, Thanks, man. I appreciate it.
But he always makes me laugh and very grateful to have him alongside me.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?
Q. Anything off the course you've learned between your amateur win and today that's maybe helped you on week-to-week basis get used to the PGA TOUR?
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, I think when I first -- my first couple events I always thought I had to be at the golf course all day practicing, grinding, and you do that week-to-week, it's a lot. So I think for me, it's like I've tried to find a schedule and a routine and something that works for me and that's been the hardest part, is when do I work out, how long do I practice on Monday and Tuesday, when do I play my practice rounds, what's best for me. You know, a lot of these guys have their own certain things.
Also, especially this week, I'm traveling with a fishing pole now, so I've been trying to go fishing every evening and it's just that little reset that helps me not focus on golf all day long. I can kind of reset, have some fun, come back out with a new mindset the next day.
Q. Did you catch anything?
NICK DUNLAP: I haven't. Hunter caught one and he's been egging me on all day. I think we might try to catch one this evening.
Q. Truckee River?
NICK DUNLAP: No, just right here. I think there's a pond. I fished the Truckee a little bit but had no luck.
THE MODERATOR: Going back to on 15, what were you feeling reading that and then once it fell in?
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, we had a really good line. I think I had a spot that was probably about 12, 15 feet away and Hunter pointed at a -- it was a shadow from one of the trees in the greens that was light. He's like, Hey, man, I kind of saw it go through. He's like, If you split that, it's going to be really good. I thought I might have hit it a little too hard, but it split the shadow perfectly and went in.
No, you know, you need to give it a chance. It's worth maybe running a couple feet by trying to make an eagle versus a birdie, but happy it fell in.
THE MODERATOR: Any wins, experiences, or when you were in contention as an amateur that you drew upon today.
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, AmEx, for sure. Coming down the stretch there versus here, it was a little bit different, having a lead most of the day. But I look back on the tee shot I hit on AmEx a lot on 18 and I felt like I had a little bit of revenge with it this week. It is a very similar wind, and that was kind of what I was thinking about, is I've wanted revenge for that shot and to step up there and hit a good one when the pressure is on for awhile, and I got that opportunity and I'm glad I was able to step up there and deliver it.
THE MODERATOR: A come from behind win this time, so what were the nerves like once you finished?
NICK DUNLAP: Oh, they're the same. Yeah, you know, hands shaking, it's the greatest feeling in the world. For me, that's what I live for, that's what I practice for. I was telling Hunter, we got done not knowing if it was enough, but just saying that was a lot of fun to be in that kind of moment and I love it.
THE MODERATOR: For those that weren't able to see, what were you doing while play was still going to kind of keep busy?
NICK DUNLAP: Pacing. It's not a great feeling when the ball's not in your hand and it's up to somebody else. I tried to keep my eyes off the TV, but I wanted to know at the same time what was going on. Yeah, me and Hunter were playing 20-dollar makes on the putting green trying to loosen up and have a little bit of fun. But, yeah.
THE MODERATOR: Any fall in for either of you?
NICK DUNLAP: No, no, it was all square.
Q. Back to the range. I know you guys said like at first you wanted to see your caddie hit some shots, and then he suggested having a putting contest, talk about that.
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, just keeping it loose. I've said it a lot, he's really, really good for me. He knows me I think a lot more than I know myself sometimes. I always enjoy competitions and games, and for to us kind of do that takes my mind off, have a little bit of fun, have some laughter, and, yeah, just enjoy the moment that we were in.
Q. Would you say that you won that too?
NICK DUNLAP: No, we tied. Nobody made anything, unfortunately.
Q. Talk about getting the e-bike and riding that up and down the fairway, how cool that was?
NICK DUNLAP: That was awesome. Apparently it was only on half throttle or half power, it goes two times faster than that. He said he doesn't want it tear up the fairways. I'm looking forward to enjoying that. Hunter has a farm that he lives on, so I might gift him that. I think he's going to use it a lot more than I would. But, yeah, we're going to have a lot of fun with it.
Q. That trophy behind you weighs a ton, talk about having to hold that during the ceremony.
NICK DUNLAP: Never gets old. It really doesn't. I told myself after AmEx I wanted to enjoy the moment a little bit more. I feel like going through it, kind of my mind was spinning, my world was spinning a little bit, and everything went extremely quick. The only sour thing about this is that winning moment goes quickly. It doesn't stay as long as you may think, just because tomorrow I'm flying to Minnesota and trying to repeat and do the exact same thing. So I promised myself if it did happen or when it happened again that I would try to enjoy it a lot more, so, yeah, I'm going to look at it all night.
THE MODERATOR: Apologies, as you say that to stay in the moment, but moving to 63 in the FedExCup, what's the mindset trying to make first playoffs.
NICK DUNLAP: Yeah, it's been a goal, it's honestly one of the reasons I played here. I took Scottish off, it was five weeks in a row, I feel like I was kind of worn out. I played some really good golf last week, and talked to Hunter, talked to my team, and I thought that it was a good opportunity to come out here and play well and here I am.
THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you.
NICK DUNLAP: Thank you.
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