Joel Dahmen’s teary-eyed moment sets up the do-or-die final round

Mark Hubbard was “stress drinking” at the club. Why? Because his friend Joel Dahmen was on the verge. At times like these, the frequent moniker of ‘fraternity’ seems to fit the PGA Tour. These guys compete against each other all the time, but they also really care about each other.

Dahmen needed to make two putts Friday afternoon from 55 feet to make the cut. Of course, this wasn’t just a cut, but the final cut of his season. A season that hasn’t been up to his usually solid standard. Dahmen entered week no. 124 in the FedEx Cup fall standings — the top 125 earn full status for the following year — meaning he entered the week safeonly with one piece. Unfortunately for him, a group of people wanted to take him down.

RSM Classic the field was filled with guys sitting in the 120-140 range, all interested in stamping their ticket for next season. Dahmen played alongside a pair of them on Thursday and Friday – Zac Blair and Wesley Bryan, who both lost number cut, it is likely that both will be without full playing privileges next year.

Dahmen made his two putts — the latter a jittery five-footer — to make the cut, his fist and enjoy a hearty hug with his caddy, Geno Bonnalie. They had survived and prospered, but only for two additional days.

“It was a good shot,” Dahmen said afterward. “I was very nervous. But there is still work to be done. It wasn’t the game-winner, it was like a half-court shot to get us going in the first half.” That was a good analogy for him, because Dahmen actually lost ground the first two days in the hunt for that 2025 Tour card.

Such is life at RSM. Someone from off the map will play great and pop the bubble guys out of nowhere. That someone, this week, is multiple. Michael Thorbjornsen AND Daniel Berger. Add in a couple of outside guys — Henrik Norlander and Hayden Springer — playing their way through, and Dahmen still had plenty to highlight. So are Dahmen’s loved ones.

It was a question about his support team that had Dahmen choked up after that brief level of making the cut. What is it like to know that all these people are now living and dying with every stroke?

“Yeah, I feel sorry for them,” Dahmen said. “I’m sorry they feel the way I do. I know my wife has been stressed. I have a lot of wonderful people around me and that’s how it is…

He left for a second there and began to choke.

“It’s hard for them,” he began with a crack in his voice. “But that’s only because they love me and care for me.”

Dahmen took a deep breath and continued, “Yeah, I mean, the job isn’t over. I know it felt like – kind of like it was there for a minute – to get it done, but that was the second step. We have two more steps to go.”

It’s the kind of awareness that comes with living in a bubble. Dahmen has been there before. He has talked about it at length and shared it a lot Full Netflix Swing. The stress a player feels is completely matched by his family, his caddy, his contemporaries, his friends. Joel likened it to sleeping through a major, admitting that the only breaks he’s getting from stress come in the moments he spends with his young son. But these are temporary and transitory this week. The stress rose again on Saturday afternoon.

Dahmen began his third round with 10 straight pars, the ultimate exercise in patience. He added a birdie on his 11th hole of the day, squeezed in a few more pars and then added another birdie on the 15th. With two minutes remaining in the third round, Dahmen was preparing for a solid sprint on Sunday. Then his 16th hole happened.

Playing 582 yards, par-5 7 in Sea IslandDahmen found the fairway and played a wood into a waste area about 40 yards from the hole. What’s not clear is the lie he faced or the swing he had to make, but with long water to the green, Dahmen left his third shot short of the green, still on the fairway. He had to make an unplayable lie with his 4 putts, play the green and two shots for a soul-crushing double bogey. He dropped about 15 spots on the leaderboard, and unfortunately an extra spot in the FedEx Cup standings.

Dahmen finished with two pars for a 70 that should have felt like a 67. The only good news left for his 2024 season is that he has one more round to carve something extra out of him. Given the players who have beaten him, there is mainly one path forward for him that guarantees full status next season: earn as many FedEx Cup points as possible and overtake Sam Ryder. Ryder missed the cut, so he can only sit at home and hope. Dahmen trails him with exactly 13 FedEx Cup points, meaning he needs just 13.1 to close as Mr. 125.

How does he get to 13.1? Finishing in the neighborhood of 40 will do the trick. Tied for 42nd can do it, depending on the number of players you will connect with. The link for the 40th should be enough. Sleep won’t be any easier tonight, but Dahmen will wake up with a number like 67 or 66 on his mind. This and much more.