After a tough opening round at the RSM Classic, Joel Dahmen knew the pressure would ramp up on Friday.
He began his round two shots off the cut line. A missed cut this week would end any hopes of him finishing among the top 125 in the FedEx Cup Fall, and thus prevent him from earning a PGA Tour card for the 2025 season. So, after a pedestrian round that featured an opening-hole bogey and three birdies, Dahmen faced a 40-footer for birdie on the 18th hole.
Sitting at 1-under-par for the championship, and right on the 36-hole cut, Dahmen raced it six feet past the hole. This putt suddenly had everything on the line. If he made it, he earned a Saturday morning tee time, which would give him an opportunity to improve his standing in the rankings. If he missed it, he could kiss this season—and next year—goodbye.
“You can’t get away from anything,” Dahmen explained about the pressure this week.
“The room’s a little more quiet around you. Like a pitcher throwing a no-hitter, but it’s a little different. Once I missed the cut in Bermuda last week, stress has been high. You don’t sleep as well.”
So Dahmen stepped up to his putt, lined up his ball a little outside the right edge, and drained it. He even gave an emphatic fist-pump, knowing all too well what that make meant.
“It was a great putt. I was very nervous,” Dahmen admitted.
“But there’s still work to do. It wasn’t the game winner, it was like the half court shot to get us like at halftime. But without that and the way I played today, I wouldn’t have anything this weekend. I’m hoping I play great this weekend and I hit 36 greens and I just kind of plod my way around and it’s super easy, but that’s not the way golf is. Really proud of myself today, but there’s still work to do.”
Plenty of work remains as the PGA Tour currently projects Dahmen to finish at 126th. That would be a heartbreaking finish should it come to that.
But he would not have this opportunity had he not drained one of the ‘most stressful’ putts of his career.
“I think it’s by far got to be the most,” Dahmen said when asked where this putt ranked in terms of stress level.
“I’ve had other stressful situations, but knowing like that’s all on the line for the year was tough. To hit my lag putt to five or six feet was not great, I was hoping just to walk up and tap that one in. Just made it more stressful. But I think the culmination of everything, this is a long year and hasn’t been the way I wanted it to go, but knowing not having your best stuff you’re still kind of hanging around and to be able to grind it out today was really great.”
Dahmen has now given himself a chance this weekend, but he trusts himself, his family and his game, knowing that whatever happens, happens.
“I still got more to write this weekend, for sure, but without having the opportunity to play this weekend, my story would be a lot shorter this year I would say,” Dahmen said.
“You know, whatever happens this weekend, my story’s still not done. I have a lot left in me and I’m going to give my all, but this weekend’s big, for sure.”
For it to work out for Dahmen would be a great way to end what has been a rollercoaster season for the former Washington Husky. But if it’s not meant to be, Dahmen will be back—in some form or another. He always finds a way, no matter what.
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.
