The Tightrope Walk: How One Spot Secured
Joel Dahmen‘s chase for a PGA Tour card was arguably the most captivating story of the fall season. Locked in a close battle for the final spots, his journey highlighted an intriguing reality: staying on tour became harder. 80
Dahmen entered the final week at No. 124, with 125 cards available. The pressure was immense. One falter, just one misstep and he’d be looking at the Korn Ferry Tour, a pathway back onto golf’s biggest stage.
Then came a rollercoaster of a weekend. A double-bogey 7 on Saturday threatened to derail his hopes, leaving him on the outside looking in. But dahmen, as he’s known to do, rallied with a Sunday 64. It catapulted him back to No. 124, exactly where he started and just inside the number.
It’s a situation that wouldn’t have existed in the past. Only 100 cards will be given to stay on.
While everyone focuses on staying on tour, own card, there’s a growing trend: securing a spot might not be enough. The numbers don’t lie.
Per DataGolf’s analysis, the 100th-best player has averaged +0.16 "true strokes gained per round over the last 20 seasons. In the ‘LIV-era’’ those on average have dipped to 0.05. They found you’ve behind on Tour, pre-Hungry, it while
Dahmen, a straight shooter, acknowledged this exact challenge after securing his spot.
“I have to get better,” he said. “Not a *ton’ but I have to improve to be in
He realizes that top 100.
Dahmen was actually already there, even with a driver.
If he hadn’t made that final putt. He’d have likely opted for the Korn Ferry Tour schedule.
Heck, per their calculations it’s actually easier to earn PGA Tour status from the KFT than to keep
He finished the season 181st in
“I’ve said
How might Joel Dahmen’s recent performance impact his chances of retaining his PGA Tour card?
## The Tightrope Walk: How One Spot Secured
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**Host:** Welcome back to “On the Green,” folks! This week we’re talking about a golfer facing a very precarious situation. Joining us today to discuss Joel Dahmen’s recent penalty and what it means for his PGA Tour card is golf analyst, Sarah Jones. Sarah, welcome to the show!
**Sarah:** Thanks for having me! It’s a tough situation for Dahmen, no doubt.
**Host:** Absolutely. We saw that he was penalized at the Shriners Children’s Open for having an extra club in his bag. [1](https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/18/sport/joel-dahmen-extra-club-spt-intl/index.html) Can you explain the gravity of this situation?
**Sarah:** Sure. Playoffs are already pressure-cookers, but this penalty really turned up the heat for Dahmen. A four-stroke penalty is huge at this stage, especially when you’re on the bubble for keeping your PGA Tour card.
**Host:** Right, and it sounds like this means he’s in danger of losing his card?
**Sarah:** Precisely. He’s on the edge right now. Every stroke counts, and this penalty could be the difference between securing a spot next season and having to fight his way back through the qualifying school.
**Host:** That’s a massive blow. What does this mean for Dahmen moving forward?
**Sarah:** He’s going to have to play some frankly incredible golf in the remaining tournaments to claw his way back. It’s going to be a tightrope walk for him, but Dahmen’s a fighter, and he’s shown resilience before.
**Host:** We certainly wish him the best. This is a story worth following for sure. Thanks for sharing your insights, Sarah.
**Sarah:** Anytime!
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