Joel Dahmen faced a mountain of pressure on Sunday at the RSM Classic and conquered it with one of the best rounds of his career.
What Joel Dahmen pulled off on Sunday was incredible.
He secured his PGA Tour playing privileges for 2025 despite not having his best stuff during the first 54 holes of the RSM Classic. But he tallied a final round 64 on Sunday, which vaulted him up the FedEx Cup Fall rankings and within the necessary top-125 threshold.
His final round began with a bang, too. He holed out from 110 yards with his sand-wedge for an all-important eagle two on the par-4 13th. Three more birdies followed on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, and since he started on 10, Dahmen turned to the front nine at 5-under for the day and 6-under overall.
One more birdie followed on the par-4 2nd, as he drained an 11-footer for birdie to get 7-under for the championship. He finished with seven straight pars—none more critical than the 6-footer he made on the 9th hole—to secure his status for next year.
And to think—he made the cut on the number on Friday, thanks to another 6-foot par putt he made on the 18th, which he called the ‘most stressful’ of his career. Talk about taking advantage of an opportunity.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity to have another full card out here is really special,” Dahmen said after fighting back tears.
“This is my eighth year out here. I probably made it longer than I ever thought I would. You take it for granted a little bit. It’s been relatively easy, cruise between 50 and 90 on the FedExCup every year and enjoy it, and our best friends are out here.
“But yeah, this is different. Makes you appreciate things a little more when times are tough. I thought a lot about everything. It came down to the last putt this week. I hit thousands of golf shots this year, missed a lot of cuts, and had a lot of opportunities to do everything, so I didn’t have to come to this. So I was thankful for the opportunity today, but I don’t want to go through this ever again.”
He needed a low round and he got one
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 24, 2024
@Joel_Dahmen shoots a 6-under 64 with his future in question.
He finishes his round projected No. 124 in the #FedExCup and is in position to earn full status on TOUR in 2025.
: GOLF Channel pic.twitter.com/83HnbJH2Vm
Dahmen has not had an easy year.
He recorded only one top-10, which came at the RBC Canadian Open, missed 10 cuts, and withdrew from the Shriners Children’s Open in October. He began that tournament in Las Vegas with an extra club in his bag, which led to a four-shot penalty—the last thing he needed since he has resided on the FedEx Cup Top 125 bubble all fall.
He has also had the spotlight on him all throughout, thanks to his appearance on Netflix’s Full Swing. Because of that, Dahmen has become a fan favorite. His relatable, easy-going demeanor, jovial presence, and infectious personality have resonated with golf fans far and wide.
“I had so many amazing texts this week from so many amazing people, other players, family members, like telling me like we love you no matter what type of thing,” Dahmen explained.
“Like I’ve always said, golf is not like who I am; it’s just kind of what I do, and it’s a cool thing to do, but you kind of start to wonder, like, is your name really, like are you really just attached to this type of thing, and I don’t want that to happen. It was really cool to have all of the love and support on the outside this week. Basically, whether you finish 126 or 125, we don’t really care, so that was great.”
And that is why everyone loves Joel Dahmen. He always keeps things in perspective.
Amid all this external pressure, with the lights shining brightly on him, he did the unthinkable. When he needed to shoot no lower than a 65, he carded a 64. Surely, the whole golfing world will be celebrating alongside him, too.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
