ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. – Joel Dahmen’s emotionally-charged conclusion to last year’s season left an indelible impression on golf fans.
After making a nervy 5-footer to survive the cut at the RSM Classic, he tied for 35th in the event, just enough to finish 124th in FedExCup points.
He’s in a similarly precarious spot this year at No. 117 on the points list entering the season’s final event. But top 125 is no longer good enough to earn full status. Instead, he’ll need at least a two-way tie for sixth at Sea Island to crack the new threshold of top 100.
Dahmen, however, has a different perspective this year when it comes to his professional prospects. He didn’t play last week’s penultimate Tour stop in Bermuda. He stayed home with his wife, Lona, who gave birth to the couple’s second child on Saturday, a son named Dawson.
During Wednesday’s pro-am at the RSM Classic, Dahmen said the new addition to the family combined with the rigors of playing tour golf have helped temper his expectations this fall.
He’ll need something even more special than last year to keep his card for 2026. But if that doesn’t happen, he will have conditional status, which should be good enough for 10 to 15 starts next season.