"LIV Golf swooped in" - Fans react to Nick Dunlap pulling out of the Farmers Insurance Open hours after winning The American Express 

Social media users have responded to Nick Dunlap's unexpected withdrawal from the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open. The amateur golfer won The American Express 2024 last week, leaving his mark on history. He became the youngest amateur golfer to win on the PGA Tour since 1910.

However, just hours after his resounding victory, Dunlap, 20, decided to return to his family and friends in Alabama and withdrew from this week's Farmers Insurance Open.

NUCLR Golf announced the news with the following caption on its X (formerly Twitter) account:

"JUST IN: Nick Dunlap has withdrawn from the Farmers Insurance Open: “After a life changing last 24 hours, I’ve decided to withdraw from the Farmers Insurance Open. I plan to return home to Alabama to be with family, friends and teammates. Thank you to @FarmersInsOpen and @theamexgolf for giving me these opportunities.”

Following Dunlap's withdrawal from the competition, fans swarmed to the comments area, suggesting that he might be considering joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. One user commented:

"LIV swooped in."

Another user commented that Dunlap was not going to LIV because he didn't want to jeopardize his chances of competing in the Majors. The fan jotted:

"He’s not going to LIV and risking not being able to see play in the masters, us open, and the open.

Yet another fan appreciated Dunlap's decision and wrote that he had fewer chances to repeat what he did at The American Express. As per the user, Dunlap made the right decision to keep him away from pressure and take time before returning to compete in professional tournaments.

"Kid is smart and getting good advice. The chances of him repeating or even finishing in the top 10 against this week are slim. Take your time. Weigh your options," a fan wrote.

One more fan supported Nick Dunlap's choice, saying the amateur golfer didn't want to take any chances by competing in the Farmers Insurance Open to maintain his high market value. The user said that Dunlap would soon announce his status as a professional and return with an endorsement deal. The user jotted:

"Keeping his market value high. Likely to give up amateurism and college eligibility this week in order to declare himself a professional and sign endorsement agreements. Worst thing that could happen is to play poorly in the Farmers Open and undermine his currently high stock."

Here are more fan reactions:

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All about 2024 Farmers Insurance Open

PGA Tour golfers will tee off at this week's Farmers Insurance Open, which is scheduled to start on January 24 and will have its finale on January 27. The tournament will take place at Torrey Pines Golf Course, which features a star-packed field.

Max Homa is the defending champion of the tournament and is one of the expert's favorites to win this week with odds of +1000, as per CBS Sports. The PGA Tour event also features Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Aberg.