Joel Dahmen compared the final round of last year’s RSM Classic, where his was fighting for his professional life, to the pressure of trying to win a PGA Tour event.
He’ll get a chance to add another trophy to his collection Saturday.
Dahmen shot 2-under 70 in the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open, reaching 5 under for the tournament. He’s four off Harris English’s lead at Torrey Pines.
The event is scheduled to end a day earlier than normal so that TV coverage doesn’t go up against the NFL’s conference championship games on Sunday.
In November on Sea Island, Dahmen needed a strong performance to keep his Tour card. After converting a 5-footer to make the cut, he shot 64 in the final round, culminated by a 6-foot par save to finish 124th in FedExCup points.
After his round Friday, Dahmen was interviewed by CBS Sports’ Amanda Balionis, who brought up that the two ran into each other in San Diego in October.
“I’m here to get better at life,” Dahmen told Balionis during that encounter, she recalled.
Dahmen went on to say during his interview that his performance coach, Chris Bertram, encouraged Dahmen to work with a Navy SEAL in order to increase his mental toughness.
“I don’t think I would have gotten through the fall without that training,” Dahmen, whose lone Tour win came in 2021, said Friday. “I can dig deeper than I thought I could before, and there’s more in there.”
Listen to the full interview below:
Joel Dahmen spoke with our @Amanda_Balionis on being introduced to a Navy Seal last fall and how it’s helped him sharpen his mental toughness. pic.twitter.com/ARx35Vc8SO
— Golf on CBS ⛳ (@GolfonCBS) January 25, 2025
That increased mental fortitude has already paid dividends this week as Dahmen gutted out an even-par 72 during an extremely windy second round to remain in contention. He called the conditions, which resulted in an 86-minute suspension, some of the toughest he’s ever faced.
