Joel Dahmen Reflects On Caddie Breakup After Breakthrough Round At Wyndham

Newsweek

01-08-2025

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On the very first day of the Wyndham Championship, PGA Tour pro Joel Dahmen fired a career-best 9-under 61 on Thursday to take the early lead. Interestingly, it wasn't just his scorecard that had fans talking, but the emotional weight behind it.
The 37-year-old, who entered the week ranked 101st in the FedEx Cup standings, closed his opening round with three straight birdies at Sedgefield Country Club, vaulting to the top of the leaderboard ahead of Alex Noren.
Have a day, Joel Dahmen! 👏
He currently leads the Wyndham Championship after an opening-round 61. pic.twitter.com/S6cw6yFc68 — Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 31, 2025
But behind the red-hot start, Dahmen still feels the sting of the "hard" split from his longtime caddie and best friend, Geno Bonnalie.
The duo had been inseparable for over a decade, working together since Dahmen's Korn Ferry Tour days, back in 2015. Their partnership blossomed into one of the most beloved player-caddie relationships on Tour, even earning fan-favorite status through Netflix's "Full Swing" series.
But in July, just ahead of The Open Championship, Dahmen announced the breakup. Since then, his performance has been streaky. The Clarkston, Washington, native missed 12 cuts in 21 events this season.
After Thursday's round, Dahmen addressed the breakup for the first time in depth.
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: Joel Dahmen of the United States looks on from the ninth hole during the second day of the Barracuda Championship 2025 at Tahoe Mountain Club on July 18, 2025 in...
TRUCKEE, CALIFORNIA - JULY 18: Joel Dahmen of the United States looks on from the ninth hole during the second day of the Barracuda Championship 2025 at Tahoe Mountain Club on July 18, 2025 in Truckee, California. (Photo by) More
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"Man, I love Geno," Dahmen told reporters after his first round at the Wyndham Championship. "We still text almost daily. He's doing well. Yeah, I mean, I miss him but sometimes the hardest ... You have to do something hard to ...
He continued: "Look, it wasn't an easy decision," he added during the same conference "I won't say I'm not happy about it but it's hard. He's my best friend, he's still my best friend.
"It was more about me. It was my mentality, it was what I was doing and I needed to take ownership of what I was doing. I was not doing a good job of that. So, for a way, for me to do it as simple as just playing golf on my own for a little bit."
Dahmen's decision to part ways wasn't about Geno's performance, instead about accountability. His longtime coach, Rob Rashell, stepped in as a temporary caddie this week. As Dahmen gets his own situation squared away, it might not be long before Bonnalie is back in business, too.
"I love him, I miss him. I think we'll see him out here again soon," Dahamen expressed during the post-round conference on Day 1.
Dahmen began his second round on Friday at 1:49 p.m. ET, paired with Ryan Palmer and Harry Higgs, both of whom are also fighting for playoff spots.
With the top 70 advancing to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Dahmen needs at least a runner-up finish to keep his season alive.
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