The post Joel Dahmen dishes on U.S. Open pressure appeared first on Golf.

The post Joel Dahmen dishes on U.S. Open pressure appeared first on Golf.

After a steady rise to the top of the field on Friday, Joel Dahmen dropped three shots on Moving Day at The Country Club. Playing in the cold, wind, and dark, the 34-year-old did just enough to keep himself in the hunt on Sunday. Dylan Dethier spoke exclusively to Dahmen about his Saturday in the final pairing.

The post Joel Dahmen dishes on U.S. Open pressure appeared first on Golf.

The post U.S. Open Recap: PGA Tour stars headline Friday leaderboard appeared first on Golf.

The post U.S. Open Recap: PGA Tour stars headline Friday leaderboard appeared first on Golf.

Great conditions on a beautiful day at The Country Club led to big scores on day two of the U.S. Open. Among the leaders are major winners, like Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who spoke to us about the position they’re in heading into the weekend. GOLF editors Dylan Dethier and James Colgan discuss an amazing day of golf in Brookline.

The post U.S. Open Recap: PGA Tour stars headline Friday leaderboard appeared first on Golf.

The post This U.S. Open contender’s plans? ‘Not have 100 beers’ appeared first on Golf.

The post This U.S. Open contender’s plans? ‘Not have 100 beers’ appeared first on Golf.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — You probably don’t know Joel Dahmen. But you probably feel like you do.

Dahmen’s coming off his opening round at the U.S. Open and he’s eager to chat about a game he just tried for the first time. It’s like cornhole, but you play it while you’re in the pool. The fact that you’re floating, he says, makes it tougher to dial in your tosses.

A reporter asks him if that means he’s treading water the entire time. He laughs.

“No, no. You’re on a floatie,” he says. “We’re not actually athletes.”

You have a buddy just like him. Killer instinct in a backyard competition. Willing to tip back a cold one or five. Competitive but self-deprecating. Always good for a good time. The difference is that your buddy isn’t contending at the U.S. Open.

It’s Thursday and Dahmen struts his way into the press center. He grins out at the small group of assembled media. He’s just finished off an opening round of three-under 67, which leaves him tied for first with Rory McIlroy and two others.

News

Rory McIlroy is leading the PGA Tour's charge against LIV Golf — and he's backing it up with his play

By: Zephyr Melton

A media official opens the presser. Three birdies in your last five holes. What did you find towards the end of the round?

“The easier holes on the golf course.”

That’s the key to the Cult of Joel. Self-effacing. Quick with a comeback. Genuinely funny. And undeniably effective with golf club in hand. There’s a reason Netflix’s cameras followed Thursday’s round. Everyone wants to know Dahmen a little bit better. Just a few minutes on Thursday teaches us three elemental things about him.

The first is that he’s deeply, unavoidably humble. That’s the reason he’s so quick to be self-deprecating. It’s a lesson Dahmen says he learned from his father on road trips home in Clarkston, a small eastern Washington town that sits near the Idaho border.

“I remember vividly some car rides coming home after a tournament, junior winner or whatever, and it was like, you don’t talk about yourself. You let people ask you questions. That type of thing,” he says.

Now it’s an unmistakable feature of his personality. Even as he’s asked about the topic itself, about being self-deprecating, Dahmen can’t help but toss himself a little jab.

“Look, it’s pretty easy to go shoot 76 or 77 out there [Friday] and all of a sudden you’re in 40th again,” he says.

The second thing is that Dahmen is competitive as hell. It’s no accident that he’s near the top of the leaderboard at Brookline, even though he claimed on Tuesday that finishing top 25 would be a successful week. He talks a small game but it’s clear he has big-time belief.

“I love competing,” he says. “I am the greatest backyard game player in the world. Max Homa will tell you differently. But darts, cornhole, I would put myself against anyone, especially on the PGA Tour. I just love being competitive.”

There are some venues where he doesn’t think he can compete. The U.S. Open at Winged Foot in 2020 was one such example. “I didn’t have a fighting chance there,” he says. But when he feels like he can compete, it’s game on. That’s the case this week.

“I’m not hitting 4-iron or hybrid into every hole; there’s wedges out there. You can get to the par-5, No. 8, that stuff,” he says. “It’s not just a hit-as-far-as-you-can-type contest.”

Dahmen’s not much good at those sorts of contests — he’s just 160th in driving distance — and while he spends plenty of time taking care of his body, you wouldn’t mistake him for Brooks Koepka. When he gets in contention, though, he has a solid record of rising to the occasion.

“Do I believe in myself? Yeah,” he says. “If you look at my game and what I am, for me to make it on Tour for six years and play this well, that’s probably ‘overachieving,’ some would say.

“I wasn’t All-American. I wasn’t the best. It’s just understanding who I am and where I’m at. Rocco Mediate took Tiger to 91 holes; I think I can do okay.”

That’s our last lesson on Dahmen: He’s appreciative for the opportunity. Rather than downplaying the fact that he finished his first round in a share of the lead, he admits it makes him proud.

“Absolutely. Why not?” he says. “Is it way cooler to finish in the lead on Sunday? Yeah. Is it still cool as a kid who grew up in Clarkston, Washington, to be like, man, he’s leading the U.S. Open, that’s kind of a cool deal? For sure.”

Dahmen’s biggest challenge for Thursday night, he admits, is actually limiting himself. He has plans for Thursday night, plans to attend a Ben Rector concert at the Boston Pavilion.

“I got to meet [Ben] in Pebble this year, and he is in town tonight,” he says. “It will be difficult to go to that one and not have 100 beers like we typically do at concerts.”

In other words, Dahmen isn’t letting the fame of a first-round near-lead get to his head. He doesn’t expect to get mobbed at the Pavilion. He’ll try to take it relatively easy but stay up relatively late, so he can sleep in and kill some time in the morning. Then he’ll take on The Country Club — and see if he can do it again.

The post This U.S. Open contender’s plans? ‘Not have 100 beers’ appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘The course is too hard’: This pro’s PGA expectations are hilarious appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘The course is too hard’: This pro’s PGA expectations are hilarious appeared first on Golf.

TULSA, Okla. — Earlier in the week, Joel Dahmen thought he’d have the week off. He was several spots down the alternate list and was planning to take in the year’s second major from home.

By Wednesday, though, several names had shifted and he was suddenly Lucky No. 156, the last man in the field. (At least until Bryson DeChambeau withdrew Wednesday afternoon, giving the final spot to Denny McCarthy.) Dahmen and his trusty caddie Geno Bonnalie made their way to Tulsa in time for a midmorning practice round. I caught up with them as they made the turn from No. 18 to No. 1, with Dahmen already hilariously underplaying his expectations for the week.

“My expectations are lower than Geno’s,” Dahmen said. “If I could play four days out here, I think that’d be good. This course is just too hard. It’s too long. The greens are too much.”

Geno, ever the optimist, shook his head.

“My expectations are a top-12,” he said. “You have to hit the fairways, which he does really well. And his long irons and fairway metals are amazing.”

“The problem is I will get worn out with those clubs over four days over someone hitting shorter —

“You’re going to wear everyone else out with those clubs and you’re going to be a problem to them.”

We could all use that type of positive reinforcement.

Nine holes in, was there anything that had surprised them about Southern Hills?

“I didn’t know anything about it at all, so I’m shocked at the slopes of the greens,” Dahmen said. “For a long golf course that’s going to be windy there’s just so much slope in them. So you’re hitting a long club in and you have to be very precise with a long club and it’s just hard to do.”

Bonnalie has a history with suspect accommodations and frequently shines a light on the less-fancy setups of Tour caddies. This week, though?

“Unbelievable this week,” he said, delighted. “A fellow caddie’s in-laws took me in. Proper digs this week, so I’m spoiled.”

As for their predicted winner — if it’s not going to be them? Here’s how that exchange went.

“Jordan Spieth is going to win this week,” Dahmen said. “He completes the career Grand Slam.”

Bonnalie agreed. “That’s a great call.” He supplied Scottie Scheffler as his own winning pick, though.

Dahmen continued. “I’m already best friends with him.”

Wait, what?

“Yeah. We played golf together a couple times. We say hi every now and then. Pretty much best friends.”

Bonnalie finished it off. “He knows my name.”

Golf’s dynamic duo plays on. (You can watch it all at the video above.)

The post ‘The course is too hard’: This pro’s PGA expectations are hilarious appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Confidential: Is the Saudi golf league over before it even started? appeared first on Golf.

The post Tour Confidential: Is the Saudi golf league over before it even started? appeared first on Golf.

Check in every week for the unfiltered opinions of our writers and editors as they break down the hottest topics in the sport, and join the conversation by tweeting us @golf_com. This week, we break down what’s next for the proposed Saudi Golf League, Phil Mickelson’s comments, the Genesis Invitational and more.   

1. While golf was played at an iconic course with a star-studded field this week, it was what happened away from the play at the Genesis Invitational that made the biggest waves. Player after player were asked their thoughts on a guaranteed-paycheck, upstart golf league funded by Saudi Arabian cash, then came a story from the Fire Pit Collective’s Alan Shipnuck, who wrote of a phone conversation that he had had with Phil Mickelson in which the six-time major champ described himself as a key architect in the league — and added that he hoped the plan would generate leverage in future negotiations with the PGA Tour. The news wasn’t over. On Sunday, both Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, long rumored to be part of the Saudi league, pledged their loyalty to the Tour. Whew. Lots to unpack here, but we’ll start with this: With the announcements of DeChambeau and DJ, and what seems to be a strong majority of players sticking with the PGA Tour, is the Saudi league over before it even got started?

News

'Dead in the water': How a week at Riviera dealt a major blow to the Saudi golf league

By: Zephyr Melton

Josh Berhow, managing editor (@Josh_Berhow): It’s not over, but this week was a haymaker. For how long this league had been discussed and planned and with everything else that went into it behind the scenes, it’s going to take a lot more for it to be truly buried. But, yeah, this was not a good week for the Super Golf League. And years from now, if it’s still not a thing, this week, and perhaps the domino effect caused by Phil Mickelson, will be the reason why. One thing that was evident this week — the players, whether premeditated or not, seemed to be more vocal in their criticism and more adamant in their allegiance to the PGA Tour. There was a shift.

Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): I think it’s too early to pronounce it dead. There’s too much money and ambition behind it. But to live up to what its promoters have promised, any rival league was always going to need a critical mass of big names onboard, and that momentum seems all but gone for now. That doesn’t mean some kind of alternate league won’t still take shape. The general concept has been like a cicada in recent decades, going dormant for long spells and then springing back to life.

Nick Piastowski, senior editor (@nickpia): This week was a blow, no doubt, but it’s not over. I see one of two things happening — either the Asian Tour gets a larger investment, or they pause plans on the league. Or both really. They’ve shown the Asian Tour concept works — the field was strong at the Saudi International, and the PGA Tour, though irritated, let it happen — and I could see more big-purse events. As for the other Tour, that has to be slowed. The Mickelson comment, at the moment, is too much to wash away, pun intended. They’ll regroup, up the money offered and try again. 

Michael Bamberger, senior writer: Saudi wealth among its ruling class is almost limitless. It’s not dead. But it’s easy to imagine it in some form, for the 40-and-over crowd, from all over the world.

2. Saudi League question two. After everything that Mickelson has said over the Tour over the past two weeks — don’t forget the “obnoxious greed” comment earlier this month — how much will his commentary impact his legacy?

News

‘Naive, selfish, egotistical, ignorant’: Rory McIlroy lashes out at Phil Mickelson

By: Nick Piastowski

Berhow: Short term, it will be significant. Long term, less so. People have short memories, but it also depends a lot on what Mickelson does with the next decade or so.

Bamberger: I agree with that completely, Josh. Hold it, what are we talking about again? 

Sens: Mickelson has always been a polarizing figure. In my random polls of fellow golfers over the years, the votes seemed to fall about 60-40, Phil worshippers over Phil detractors.  I suspect if I took another of those surveys tomorrow, the down-on-Phil crowd would win in a landslide. Josh is right about short memories, but the incident will get mentioned in Mickelson’s obit. Not everyone will forget.

Piastowski: Sadly, the comments may be forgotten over time. They shouldn’t be. If you think otherwise, go read that quote again on the Fire Pit Collective website. 

3. Saudi League question three! Or this is more of a PGA Tour question. While no doubt a win for the Tour with the re-commitments of Johnson and DeChambeau, along with a host of others, where does the Tour go from here? Multiple outlets were reporting that there was discussion this week of experimenting with different formats during fall tournaments. Do you see more experimentation like this to appease players?

News

The 1 thing that would make pros abandon the PGA Tour for the Saudi league, according to a rising star

By: Kevin Cunningham

Berhow: Yes. Many players, including Phil, have been right in the fact that this has forced the Tour to open its eyes and make more changes to appease the players. We’ve already seen some of that happen with the PIP and Players purse increase, for example, but more still needs to happen. More team events, mix in LPGA stars — 72-hole stroke-play events, 48 weeks a year, is numbing.

Sens: Boy, is it tiring to think about what needs to be done to appease some of the most privileged people on earth. But I get it. It’s the marketplace. In my dream of dreams, we’d go back to the old days when golf took a breather. Scrap the wrap-around season. Give it a rest. Do we really need a bunch of contrived formats and watered-down events to get us through an offseason? Shut it down for a bit, and it will be all the more exciting when it starts back up again. The Groucho Marx rule is a good one here — you can love your cigar and still take it out of your mouth now and then.

Piastowski: Yep. While many of the players came out in support of the Tour, there were still a few grumblings of the status quo. This is the perfect opportunity to strike while the iron’s hot and keep the players happy. Shoot, steal ideas from the Saudi and Premier Golf Leagues. If you rest on this, PGA Tour, we’ll be talking about this again very, very soon. 

Bamberger: It’s not really a question of appeasing the players. The Tour exists FOR the players. The players ultimately want what the golf-watching public wants, because it is the golf-watching public that pays the bills. We do want more team play, more mixed play, more match play, more transparency. The PGA Tour does amazing things in the name of charity, but it is also a big business. It’s hanging on to its not-for-profit status by a hair. It needs more transparency in every way. 

4. On to the golf! Joaquin Niemann played Riviera at a near-record-setting clip on his way to a win at the Genesis, holding off a star-studded field in the process. Your biggest on-course takeaway from the week, as the Tour heads to the Florida swing. 

News

Bryson DeChambeau addresses rival-tour speculation, commits to PGA Tour

By: Josh Berhow

Berhow: Collin Morikawa played once during this West Coast swing, and that was his T2 at the Genesis. The guy is going to go on a tear this year. Three or four wins, easy.

Sens: As 2021 wound down, Jon Rahm seemed primed to win every time he teed it up. He’s hardly been a slouch in 2022, but his game has just been just the slightest of margins off. His driver at Torrey. His putter this week. A reminder of the razor’s edge between winning and everything else. I’m with you on Morikawa though, Josh. That was the quietest T2 I think I’ve even seen. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Piastowski: Do Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler do anything but top-10? Toss in Jon Rahm, and that’s about as good a bet as any for your four major winners this year. 

Bamberger: I’d like to see Riviera in the third week in June. Fast and hard, it could be an incredible U.S. Open course.

Piastowski: Good point, Michael. The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open there should be fantastic. 

5. Twice at the Genesis, Tiger Woods, the tournament host, provided updates on his recovery, nearly one year since his car crash. On Saturday, on CBS, he notably said: “I don’t want to come out here and just play. That’s how I am. I need to feel that I’m confident that I can beat these guys, and I got to do the legwork at home. It’s on me.” Was there anything that Woods said, or anything that you saw, that suggested he will play sometime this year?

News

'I don’t want to come out here and just play': Tiger Woods gives hint to return

By: Nick Piastowski

Berhow: A few reports on site said he was walking pretty well, which is a good sign, but I don’t think Tiger comes back until he’s 100 percent confident he won’t have any hiccups walking 72 holes. Like he said, he won’t rush it. That said, I think he will definitely play this year. He likes to keep his decisions close to his chest, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tiger, well, surprises us. It wasn’t that long ago we had a few years of will he/won’t he, last-minute Masters decisions. I expect that this year, and even though it’s a long shot, you never know. I’ve learned to stop doubting him.

Sens: I’ve also learned to stop predicting anything. That said, I’ve got my calendar circled for the British Open at St. Andrews. A fan can hope.

Bamberger: That’s my feeling, too — and only if the weather forecast is fair.

Piastowski: I hate to say it, but the quote in the question above told me a lot. He’s not coming back to tie for 55th somewhere. It’s going to be a while before we see him. Let’s go with next year’s Masters. And this year’s PNC, of course. 

6. Golf Channel reported that Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen might be fined by the Tour for their shirt-lifting episode at last week’s WM Phoenix Open. Notably, the Tour itself promoted the scene on its social media channels. Do you agree with the fine? Or should players be allowed to loosen up a bit?

News

Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16

By: Dylan Dethier

Berhow: Rules are rules — regardless if they are good — so if there’s something about personal conduct in the book that states what they did is grounds for a fine (I’m sure there is), then you can’t argue with it. But to fine them AFTER using this all over their social media channels? That’s a brutal, brutal look. In my opinion, no one knows how to act during Phoenix week, to be honest. Fans think they have to be crazier than usual, players think they have to be more engaging than usual, and, in turn, the PGA Tour thinks it needs to turn its hat backward and lighten up as well. That’s OK, but if promoting WM Phoenix Open craziness is their plan, they can’t have it both ways and dish out fines.

Sens: Ridiculous fines. The Tour goes out of its way to promote a wild and crazy party atmosphere and then pretends to clutch its pearls when a pudgy bares his chest? If they have to pay anything, make it be to a counseling service for those of us who might need help un-seeing that sight.

Piastowski: Please don’t go the way of no end zone celebrations. The Tour doesn’t want stifling the fun to be one of the reasons players are looking at alternative leagues. If it becomes a regular thing and winners start ripping off shirts like Hulk Hogan, then put the hammer down. But this was an in-the-moment, fun move. No fine!  

Bamberger: The whole point of the Phoenix stop is that golf etiquette as we know it is passe. Shirts-on-courses are, too. Let it go. Joel Dahmen deserves all the attention he can get.

The post Tour Confidential: Is the Saudi golf league over before it even started? appeared first on Golf.

The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Spotted on Tour, where we’ll highlight buzzy apparel, gear, gadgets and more that caught our eye over the weekend. Better yet, we’ll help you get your hands on your own.

They were the chests seen ’round the world, largely because they weren’t supposed to be.

Golfers don’t often lose their shirts in the course of competition. More rarely do they lose their shirts *intentionally*. But that was what happened on Sunday at the WM Phoenix Open, when Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen removed their upper layers in celebration of the raucous, frat-party atmosphere inside the 16th hole at TPC Scottsdale.

What followed was a symphony of delirious fans. As the players pranced around the green, the 20,000 or so above hollered with delight, launching from the bleachers beer cans and cocktails — and every notion of what some people believe golf to be.

News

Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16

By: Dylan Dethier

It was ridiculous. Insane. Unhinged. Decidedly unprofessional.

Oh, and also wholeheartedly awesome.

Higgs and Dahmen are among those rumored to be involved with the PGA Tour’s upcoming Netflix series, whose producers aim to present golf’s personalities in a radical new light. Though shooting has already begun for the show, the WM Phoenix Open is said to be the show’s first true event. If that is the case, then there’s likely a happy crew of filmmakers somewhere outside of Scottsdale on Monday afternoon, because the two pros have already provided them with one of the flashpoint moments of the 2022 season.

There are also likely two happy shirt sponsors on Monday afternoon, because Higgs and Dahmen’s antics brought two players who finished T49 and T62, respectively, into the center of the golf consciousness on the largest advertising day of the year (Super Bowl Sunday).

So, for today’s Spotted on Tour, let’s take a deeper look at the two shirts Higgs and Dahmen *didn’t* wear on Saturday, y’know, just in case anybody missed it.

First up: Higgs, who is a Greyson man by heart. Harry wore Greyson’s Starling polo, a lightweight, stretch-friendly shirt featuring moisture-wicking technology and four buttons (in case you enjoy a breeze on your chest during play, like Higgs). The Starling polo, like everything Greyson, rests at the intersection of luxury and performance — a preferred choice of both serious players and fashion-forward golfers.

Then there’s Dahmen, who appeared to wear TravisMathew’s “Bamboo Fences” polo. Dahmen’s shirt fits squarely within TravisMathew’s target demographic of “lifestyle performance” — polos you’d feel equally comfortable wearing on the course and off of it. The polo features four-way stretch material, easy wash-and-wear (for those pesky beer stains), and wrinkle-resistant fabric; ensuring a clean, comfortable look, no matter how many times the shirt whips around your head.

To learn more about Dahmen and Higgs’ shirts, check out the links below.

Greyson Starling Polo

The Starling Polo features a sophisticated pattern that looks good both on and off the golf course. Lightweight and with plenty of stretch, this moisture-wicking polo will keep you cool and comfortable even on the longest days. Finished with a four-button placket and a solid contrast collar.

Buy Now

TravisMathew Bamboo Fences Golf Shirt

With an all-over, tropical-inspired palm leaf print, the BAMBOO FENCES polo will become an easy favorite whether you’re working, working on your game, or working the crowd.

Buy Now

The post The shirts Harry Higgs and Joel Dahmen *didn’t* wear at the WM Phoenix Open appeared first on Golf.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The latest, nakedest moment in the debaucherous desert get-together at TPC Scottsdale started with a tweet.

On Saturday night, Joel Dahmen posted his tee time notification for Sunday’s final round: 10:43 a.m. off No. 10 alongside his pal Harry Higgs.

Dahmen and Higgs weren’t exactly in contention; the two entered Sunday tied for 64th at the WM Phoenix Open. But Dahmen was invigorated by the chance to play alongside Higgs.

“Dreams do come true!” he wrote. “If we get enough retweets [Harry Higgs] will take his shirt off on 16 tomorrow!”

Dahmen’s caddie Geno Bonnalie shared his player’s enthusiasm.

Dahmen logged a significant number of retweets (some 7,000+) but Higgs played it cool.

“You funny,” he wrote by way of reply.

It wasn’t an outright denial, at least. Dahmen’s dream was alive.

Higgs is a cult hero on Tour known for his love of life, Tito’s and unbuttoned shirts. But popping his top on the wildest stage on the PGA Tour? That would be a new frontier even for the Big Rigg.

The two stepped to the 16th tee to raucous applause, but unlike Carlos Ortiz (or Sam Ryder, a day before) neither threatened an ace. Dahmen left himself a 17-footer for birdie, while Higgs sent his tee shot long and left and chipped to 11 feet.

When he rolled that putt in, the party was on.

It’s tough to describe exactly what happened next other than to say that pure instinct seemed to take over. Higgs lifted his shirt, flashing the crowd, knocking off his hat and sending the assembled onlookers into a frenzy.

The beer cans followed immediately; Higgs was dodging various half-filled recyclables before he even got his ball out of the hole.

Then Dahmen, never one to miss out on the action, joined his buddy, ripping off his shirt entirely (he’d just finished up a par putt of his own) and waving his light-blue Travis Mathew like a Terrible Towel. That invigorated Higgs, who charged across the green and leapt in some sort of Michael Jordan-inspired fist-pump leap as spike marks and beer marks built up on the green’s edge. It was outrageous. It was majestic. It was a lot of fun. It was unlike any scene I’ve seen in professional golf.

The magic didn’t last for long; Higgs hit his next shot in the water and Dahmen four-putted (yes, four-putted) the 17th green. It didn’t matter; neither was likely to crack the top 50. But fans got to see more — a whole lot more — of two of their favorites. Neither the tournament nor the game of golf seemed to split apart from the sight of skin nor jubilation.

As for the fans at 16? They still had a couple hours to go before the leaders rolled through. But now there was plenty to talk about as they headed to the beer line, looking for refills.

The post Shirtless PGA Tour pros?! Harry Higgs, Joel Dahmen go wild at 16 appeared first on Golf.

The post WATCH: PGA Tour winner Joel Dahmen misidentified for second time in a month appeared first on Golf.

The post WATCH: PGA Tour winner Joel Dahmen misidentified for second time in a month appeared first on Golf.

Give credit to Joel Dahmen and caddie Geno Bonnalie. They were good sports when Dahmen, the No. 96-ranked player in the world, was incorrectly introduced at the WM Phoenix Open. (And, no, this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened, but more on that later.)

The par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale is one of the loudest and rowdiest holes in golf, and this week they’ve had an emcee introduce players as they come through. But the announcer hit a snag when Dahmen stepped to the tee on Wednesday.

“Next, on the 16th hole…,” the announcer began. That’s when the trouble started.

“…turned pro back in 2011.” (Nope, 2010.)

“He’s a four-time PGA Tour winner.” (Nah, Dahmen has won just once.)

This is when Dahmen and Bonnalie realized something was up (photo below). Their look was equal parts confusion and intrigue — they probably wanted to see which player they were being confused for. The clues started adding up. So did the laughter.

“Member of the 2020 Ryder Cup.” (Sadly, Dahmen didn’t make the squad.)

“And he loves hunting and college football.” (This might be true, but who is to say?)

“Please welcome the Georgia Bulldog himself,” — no, University of Washington is the right answer here — “Mr. Harris English.” (Annnnd wrong again.)

Dahmen and Bonnalie gamely played to the crowd, perhaps because they’re getting used to this type of treatment. At the Sentry Tournament of Champions last month, Dahmen was mistaken for a fan while taking a shuttle to the golf course.

Dahmen is grouped with J.T. Poston and Keith Mitchell for the first two rounds in Phoenix. Here’s how you can watch all of the action.

The post WATCH: PGA Tour winner Joel Dahmen misidentified for second time in a month appeared first on Golf.

The post After a night of partying, one of the wildest made-cut stories you’ll hear appeared first on Golf.

The post After a night of partying, one of the wildest made-cut stories you’ll hear appeared first on Golf.

It’s three minutes before this early shift begins, and Geno Bonnalie is ready. A few yards away, his boss is filming himself on his cellphone.

“He’s like, hey, guys, it’s me, Joel Dahmen,” Bonnalie tells it. “He’s like, I was just throwing up over there on the driving range, and I am still so wasted. And he’s like, I have to play in a professional golf tournament today. And he sent this to just like some of his best friends. 

“And he’s like, I’m going to shoot 77. It’s going to be the greatest 77 of all time.” 

Joel Dahmen, at the 2015 Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper, finished tied for 10th. On the par-72 Highlands Springs Country Club, in Springfield, Mo., he totaled 270 strokes over four rounds. But that, you know, can be found through a simple Google search. 

It’s the how we’re after. And this how may make your head pound. Dahmen’s did. Bonnalie’s, too. How did Dahmen shoot a Saturday 63 and a Sunday 69 and tie for 10th, after a Friday night and Saturday morning of IPAs, Fireball, Coors Light, no sleep and a Waffle House inhalation? Well, maybe there’s no explanation for that. But it makes for a hell of a story.   

If you’ve scrolled through social media or watched PGA Tour events, you know that Dahmen, and his caddie, Bonnalie, are one of the most personable duos on Tour. So when Bonnalie was asked on the most recent episode of the Caddie Network’s Under the Strap podcast for his favorite story of their time on the road, he flashed back to Friday, Aug. 14, 2015, when Dahmen didn’t think he would make the cut at the Price Cutter. 

On the podcast, hosted by longtime caddie John Rathouz, Bonnalie tells it best from here. 

“So he went into the truck, which kind of does the scoring and the operations there, and he started drinking some beer, and I went out to watch guys finish because at the time, you know, I had 12 cents to my name, and I’m just praying we make this cut because maybe I’ll make an extra 80 dollars on the weekend,” Bonnalie said. “And so and so made par on the last, and we make the cut, and we’re like T-64 and we’re playing the weekend. 

“And I go up and find Joel, and he’s like four IPAs deep, which Joel, he’s feeling good. He’s like, hey. I’m like, buddy, we made the cut. And he’s like, oh, that’s awesome. He’s like, let’s go get some beer. I’m like, we made the cut. He’s like, yeah, let’s go get some beer.”

That night, they did — Coors Lights, if you’re wondering — and played a par-3 in Springfield. 

News

WATCH: PGA Tour pro mistaken for fan — and he hilariously plays along

By: Nick Piastowski

“So we go out, we find some random dudes on the course. We’re like, hey, can we play with you?” Bonnalie said on the podcast. “And they were terrible. But they had like a fifth of Fireball with them. And we brought some Coors Light so they were shooting Fireball and drinking Coors Light, and the next thing you know, it’s midnight and they shut the lights off, like the course is closed, and we just kept making laps around this — we became best friends with these guys. And we were too intoxicated to drive home, so one of their girlfriends came and got us and took us back to our hotel. 

“But our tee time is like 7 o’clock in the morning, and we probably shut it down close to 2. So get back to the hotel, I set the alarm, and I’m like, you know, I’m fairly responsible — it might not sound like it — but I am.”

What happened five short hours later?

“I woke Joel up, and I’m like, hey, I’m going to run back to the golf course and get our car; you need to be ready to go when I get back; we’re running late. He’s like, mmm, mmm, mmm,” Bonnalie said on the podcast. “So I take off running, I come back to the hotel, he’s still sound asleep. I’m like buddy, we tee off in an hour. So I’m like shaking him, and I finally get him up, and I literally put him in the shower and turn the water on. 

“He’s dying. So I get him in the car, he’s like, I got to eat some food. We may have went to Waffle House, like briefly. Crushed some Waffle House really fast. Get there, we get onto the range maybe 15 minutes before our tee time, and he’s trying to hit trick shots. He is wasted. He’s like, hey, guys, watch this.”

News

'Open up the tab': Joel Dahmen nabs long-awaited first Tour victory

By: Sean Zak

It was here, after Bonnalie made his way to the 1st tee, where Dahmen began filming for his friends. Then he hit. 

“He makes a birdie,” Bonnalie said on the podcast. “But he’s like, he is celebrating. I mean, we’re in last place on Saturday morning. Literally last place that made the cut, and he starts celebrating on the first hole. He’s like, I made a birdie. I’m, oh, buddy, all right, let’s hang on. So we get to number two, he hits it in there to like 8 feet, rolls that in for birdie. … And number three, makes birdie. … By the time we get to number nine, he’s seven-under through nine, and I’m like, homeboy is near the lead of this tournament. 

“Ends up shooting nine-under on the day, though. Shoots 63 with a bogey, and when we finish, we were in second place, but the leaders still hadn’t teed off when we were done. So fast-forward through the weekend, I think he finished 10th place. And essentially that kept our Web.com Tour card that year.”

At this point, Dahmen asked Bonnalie a question that you’re no doubt wondering about yourself. 

“And I remember the next time he made the cut,” Bonnalie said on the podcast, “he’s like, should we go get blacked out again?”

“I’m like, no.” 

The post After a night of partying, one of the wildest made-cut stories you’ll hear appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘How athletes fuel’: Caddie wonderfully roasts player for hot dog, Mountain Dew diet appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘How athletes fuel’: Caddie wonderfully roasts player for hot dog, Mountain Dew diet appeared first on Golf.

Some of you, dear golf fitness readers, have visited this site for the latest and greatest on how to fuel your engine properly. There was this story. And this one. And this one. And many, many more. 

This, however, though wonderful, is not one. 

Here, our protagonist is warming up on the practice green for the first round of this week’s Sony Open, when he sends his caddie out to grab lunch. And from there, Geno Bonnalie chronicled how his man, Joel Dahmen, gassed up for the day.   

“Bet the farm on my man today,” Bonnalie tweeted on Thursday. 

First, a hot dog from John’s World Famous Hawaii Hot Dogs, which had a stand at Waialae Country Club. Bonnalie was about fifth in line when he hit record on his iPhone. 

“My boss over there just asked me to get him a hot dog before we tee off,” Bonnalie said on the video. “So here I am standing in line. 

“He’s either on 59 watch or 82 watch. I’m not sure.”

For what it’s worth, Dahmen shot a 69 and a 68. And he downed one hot dog, which Bonnalie’s second and third tweet captured. “How athletes fuel,” he wrote on the second, alongside a photo of Dahmen on the driving range taking his first bite of one of the best from John’s World Famous. And five minutes later, Bonnalie tweeted: “He said it’s fitting that the @PGATOUR listed him as a sleeper, cause now he needs a nap.”

Finally, in the last Bonnalie photo, Dahmen is shown walking down the fairway, a Mountain Dew in his left hand. 

News

WATCH: PGA Tour pro mistaken for fan — and he hilariously plays along

By: Nick Piastowski

At the turn, the Waialae concessions had come through again.  

“The hot dog didn’t really work on the front, so he elected to go w/ a Mt. Dew at the turn…that didn’t really work either. #proathlete,” Bonnalie tweeted with it. 

Of course, followers of Bonnalie and Dahmen know the next good-natured ribbing between the two is just a Twitter refresh away. It was just last week, in fact, at the Tournament of Champions, when Dahmen and Bonnalie were being shuttled to the course, the driver mistook the player for a spectator, and the caddie shared that video, too. 

“’Try to get to hole 18 an hour early to get a good seat,’” Bonnalie tweeted.

The post ‘How athletes fuel’: Caddie wonderfully roasts player for hot dog, Mountain Dew diet appeared first on Golf.