What Joel Dahmen accomplished on Sunday was incredible.
He secured a spot on the PGA Tour in 2025 despite not playing his best in the first 54 holes of the RSM Classic. But Sunday's final round of 64 propelled him up the FedEx Cup fall rankings and into the required top 125.
His final round also started with a bang. He used a sand wedge to hole out from 110 yards on the par-4 13th hole for the all-important eagle 2. Three more birdies followed on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes, and Dahmen, who started the day at No. 10, moved into the front nine at 5 under for the day and 6 under for the day.
He made another birdie on the par-4 second hole, making an 11-foot birdie to win at 7 under par. He finished with seven consecutive pars, none more important than the 6-foot par on the ninth hole, securing his spot for next year.
And come to think of it, he was able to achieve that number Friday because of a 6-foot par putt on No. 18, which he called the “most nerve-wracking” of his career. Let's talk about taking advantage of opportunities.
“I'm grateful for the opportunity to play a full card here again. It's really special,” Damen said, holding back tears.
“It's been eight years since I've been here. I think I've probably made it longer than I thought I would. You take it for granted a little bit. It's relatively easy, and every year I get 50 in the FedEx Cup. We've been cruising between 90 and 90 and enjoying it, and our best friends are here.
“But yeah, this is different. The tough times make you appreciate things a little more. I've thought about everything a lot. This week I was down to the last putt. This year I've had thousands of I didn't need to come to this because I had a lot of opportunities to hit some great golf shots, miss a lot of cuts, and do everything. So I was grateful for the opportunity today, but I'll never go through something like this again. I don’t want to.”
Damen hasn't had an easy year.
He finished in the top 10 only once, at the RBC Canadian Open, missed the cut 10 times and withdrew from the Shriners Children's Open in October. He began the tournament in Las Vegas with an extra club in his bag, which resulted in a four-stroke penalty. The last thing he needed was after living in the FedEx Cup Top 125 bubble all fall.
Thanks to his appearance on Netflix, he has been in the spotlight for a long time. full swing. As such, Damen became a fan favorite. His approachable, easygoing demeanor, cheerful presence and infectious personality resonate with golf fans far and wide.
“I've gotten a lot of great messages this week from a lot of great people, from other players to my family, saying I love you no matter what,” Dahmen explained.
“Like I always say, golf isn't like me. It's kind of what I do and it's cool, but you're like, do you really have a name? You start to wonder if you're really just obsessed with this kind of thing, and I don't want that to happen. It's been really nice to get so much love and support out there this week. Basically, whether it's finishing 126th or finishing 125th. It was great because we didn’t really care.”
That's why everyone loves Joel Damen. He always keeps things in perspective.
Under these external pressures, with the light shining brightly on him, he did the unthinkable. When he needed a shot no lower than 65, he hit 64. No doubt the entire golf world will be celebrating with him.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
