Main championships usually are not on the road at this level of the yr, however that doesn’t detract from the mounting strain that dozens of PGA Tour professionals face.
Two occasions stay on the FedEx Cup Fall, which is able to decide who secures PGA Tour membership for 2025 and who doesn’t. These gamers who end between 51st and sixtieth within the closing standings will comprise the preliminary Aon Subsequent 10 for the 2025 season and can thus obtain invites to the primary two Signature Occasions of the yr: the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am and the Genesis Invitational at Riviera.
However making an attempt to make it into Signature Occasions pales compared to making an attempt to maintain your PGA Tour card and, due to this fact, your job. Take Joel Dahmen, as an illustration, the Netflix star who tied for 14th on the World Extensive Expertise Championship in Mexico.
Dahmen’s T-14 awarded him $120,600, however extra importantly, he acquired 52 FedEx Cup Fall factors for his efforts. After this week, he jumped three spots within the rankings, from 124th to 121st. He has 407 factors general, 35 factors away from Hayden Springer, who at the moment occupies the a hundred and twenty fifth spot. 9 gamers are inside 50 factors of Springer, hoping to place collectively sturdy finishes over the ultimate two weeks and weasel their manner into the highest 125. Will probably be a nerve-wracking battle at this week’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship and subsequent week’s RSM Traditional in Sea Island, Georgia.
And but, Dahmen, regardless of the stress, is taking a glass-half-full method to his state of affairs.
“I‘ve been fortunate sufficient for the previous six or seven years that I don’t have to fret about it, however it’s a special sort of strain. I knew I wasn’t going to win the golf event right now, however you’re feeling such as you’re sort of in rivalry. It issues quite a bit. You possibly can’t conceal from it, it’s there,” Dahmen mentioned after his closing spherical on the World Extensive Expertise Championship.
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“I do know [my caddie] Geno [Bonnalie is] doing an ideal job about simply going about our enterprise. My spouse is wonderful about pretending all the pieces is okay. And all the pieces is okay. It’s not prefer it’s the tip of the world, however I wish to play good golf, and I wish to be out right here on the PGA Tour.”
Since incomes his PGA Tour card forward of the 2017-18 season, Dahmen has performed in 191 PGA Tour occasions. He has 22 prime 10s and just one victory, which got here on the Corales Puntacana Resort & Membership Championship in 2021. Of the seven seasons he has performed, his common end within the FedEx Cup has been 77th, however he has by no means come this near dropping his PGA Tour card.
Earlier than this yr, Dahmen’s worst end within the FedEx Cup got here throughout the 2021-22 season, which, mockingly sufficient, was when he launched himself to tens of millions of golf followers for his sturdy play on the U.S. Open. Dahmen held a share of the 36-hole lead with Collin Morikawa at Brookline however went on to tie for tenth. However, he completed his 2021-22 marketing campaign ranked 92nd within the FedEx Cup, a yr through which he made 19-of-26 cuts and posted solely three prime 10s.
However this yr has given him extra hassle than he has ever confronted earlier than. His brief recreation has plagued him, as Dahmen ranks 178th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained placing and 141st in strokes gained across the inexperienced. He’s additionally 166th on tour in one-putt proportion and 132nd in three-putt avoidance. Given how good PGA Tour professionals are, occasions, cuts, and prime 10s at all times come all the way down to placing, and if you’re struggling on the greens, you’ll have a tough time discovering sustained success.
Dahmen isn’t an extended hitter by any stretch, too, so he should depend on his method play and brief recreation to compensate for that deficiency. But, that has not occurred for many of this season, aside from his T-11 at The Gamers Championship, his T-10 on the RBC Canadian Open in June, and his stable play this previous week.
“I believe it could imply extra this yr, simply the grind that it’s been,” Dahmen mentioned when requested what it could imply for him to complete among the many prime 125.
“Golf has been comparatively simple for me for 5 years. Haven’t actually been on this place earlier than. It will imply quite a bit. It’s actually exhausting to maintain grinding when issues aren’t going your manner. Like I mentioned, there’s a variety of strain this week, and the subsequent two developing. It’s quite a bit. Ending thirtieth is likely to be a ok sort of factor. That’s nearly more durable than if you’re in rivalry. Yeah, it could imply the world.”
He could discover himself in a precarious place, however on the finish of the day, Dahmen, as he mentioned, is aware of all the pieces shall be okay. His charming and easy-going character will at all times resonate with followers far and large, so loads of individuals will proceed to cheer him on it doesn’t matter what occurs. And hey, who is aware of? Possibly Dahmen catches lightning in a bottle and wins considered one of these closing two occasions. That might be some story, which might cap a rollercoaster season that has featured loads extra lows than highs. However that’s the crux {of professional} golf, too. It’s nearly unattainable to make—and not to mention keep on—the PGA Tour for an prolonged interval. Dahmen understands that higher than anybody, so he is aware of that he solely has one alternative about how to consider his future: in a optimistic method.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By means of. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.
