Star Alabama sophomore golfer Nick Dunlap made history on Sunday afternoon, becoming the first amateur winner on the PGA Tour since Phil Mickelson in 1991.
During Dunlap’s historic tour stop, former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, an avid golfer himself, joined the broadcast by phone to talk about Dunlap — as well as fellow Alabama legend Justin Thomas, as he and Dunlap remained together in the final group.
“It’s no surprise to me. He’s got great work ethic, he’s a great person. He pays attention to detail,” Saban said of what was unfolding in front of the golf world as Dunlap was tied for the lead on the 11th hole.
“I sat and watched on one of those machines that tells you how your ball is spinning and all that and he must have hit 100 drivers, just checking the spin on the balls, he’s really a dedicated guy. He’s got the right disposition to play, he doesn’t seem to get flustered about anything, which golf is kind of a metaphor for life. You gotta’ be able to play the next shot whether you’re in the hazard or hit a good one.”
RELATED: Alabama’s Nick Dunlap first amateur PGA Tour winner since Phil Mickelson
The NBC crew also asked Saban what would a potential coach Saban pre-game speech to Dunlap sound like before he teed off with a three-stroke lead entering Sunday:
“Play the next play. Focus on the next shot. Regardless of what happened on the last shot, focus on the next shot. Stay focused not on the outcome but what you have to do to get the outcome, which is the process,” he said.
“We live in such an outcome-oriented world that sometimes that’s hard to do, but I think that’s the key to being successful.”
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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