Tua Tagovailoa gets golf win, Nick Dunlap gets autograph

Tua Tagovailoa gets golf win, Nick Dunlap gets autograph

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ended the pro-am for the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches on Wednesday holding a trophy. PGA Tour rookie Nick Dunlap ended it with a football signed by the NFL’s 2023 passing leader.

Tagovailoa and Dunlap played collegiately at Alabama. While Tagovailoa’s final season with the Crimson Tide football team came in 2019, Dunlap was a member of the Alabama men’s golf team when the year began.

Dunlap turned pro after he became the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since 1991 when he captured the American Express tournament on Jan. 21.

On Wednesday, Tagovailoa played with Tyler Cameron from “The Bachelor” and YouTube star Micah Morris as his amateur partners. Min Woo Lee served as the foursome’s pro for the front nine, and Dunlap handled that duty on the back nine at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Tagovailoa’s team carded a 19-under 52 to win the pro-am.

“Like I said out there on the range,” Tagovailoa said, “I kind of knew we were going to win, came in here thinking we were going to win. We won.”

At the end of the round, Tagovailoa autographed a “Roll Tide” football for Dunlap.

Dunlap had an early tee time for the first round of the Cognizant Classic, teeing off at 6:51 a.m. Thursday. The Cognizant Classic is Dunlap’s third tournament as a professional.

Dunlap finished 80th at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and missed the cut at the Genesis Invitational in his previous pro outings.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.