Why Joel Dahmen contending at RBC Canadian Open makes perfect sense

ANCASTER, Ontario – Joel Dahmen has a secret. He’s not ready to reveal it yet, but maybe that will change Sunday afternoon.

The fan favorite has played himself into contention at this week’s RBC Canadian Open, carding rounds of 67-65 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club to hold solo third place into Saturday’s third round, two back of co-leaders Robert MacIntyre and Ryan Fox.

Dahmen credits improved putting for his dramatic turnaround in southern Ontario; he hasn’t recorded a top-25 on TOUR since THE PLAYERS Championship in March (T11), but he gained more than six strokes on the greens across the first two rounds at the recently restored Hamilton G&CC, which features thick rough and severe runoffs around the green complexes.

The Clarkston, Washington native has hit 30 of 36 greens in regulation and converted 11 birdies to hang around on the leaderboard’s front page, and the spirited Canadian fans have been delighted by the de facto honorary Canadian who “grew up” on PGA TOUR Canada in the early 2010s.

Dahmen, 36, referenced a new math technique he has implemented for green-reading alongside veteran caddie Geno Bonnalie, but he cagily noted after Friday’s second round that he wasn’t ready to dive further into the semantics. He was happy, though, to discuss his emotional connection to Canada. Dahmen’s career was propelled by his time on PGA TOUR Canada in the early 2010s, which culminated in a 2014 Player of the Year-winning season that led to full 2015 Korn Ferry Tour status. He earned his TOUR card via the 2016 Korn Ferry Tour and hasn’t looked back, carving a niche as one of the game’s fan favorites for his transparency and relatability.

Dahmen feels a kinship with Canada, and some of his best friends are from his PGA TOUR Canada days. He maintains a group chat with close friends from that era like Will Stricker, Creighton Honeck, Micah Burke, Sean Shahi and Korn Ferry Tour/PGA TOUR veteran Brandon Harkins. He felt refreshed upon arriving in Canada earlier this week.

Perhaps the pleasant nostalgia, in addition to some new math, offered an extra edge.

“Man, a lot of great times up here,” Dahmen said Friday. “We've all grown up, we all have kids now, it's very different when we get together than it used to be, but we still have a great time … (PGA TOUR Canada) was everything to me. I didn't know anything when I came up here. I was 22 years old, traveling around. I didn't know how to travel. I didn't know how to play a real golf course. Never really played with a cut before, like all those things.

“I haven't played in this event in five years. I came here on Tuesday and I just kind of had great vibes again. I almost felt bad I hadn't been back. The schedule didn't work out previously. It’s a really special place … the memories off the golf course are just as good as the ones on.”

Dahmen relished a late tee time Saturday – 3:15 p.m. local time, in the penultimate pairing alongside Andrew Novak. It has been a while since Dahmen began a weekend round this late, he said, thinking back to the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club where he finished T10, matching his best showing to date in a major championship.

It has been a trying season at times. Dahmen entered the week at No. 119 in the FedExCup standings; keeping his card is far from a sure thing. But several tournaments remain, and a strong weekend would also bring him within striking distance of the FedExCup Playoffs (top 70 on the FedExCup standings after the Wyndham Championship).

There’s plenty to play for, and Canada is a fitting canvas.

“We've talked about this. We've prepared for this. I believe I should be here,” Dahmen said Friday. “It's where I'm supposed to be, so I'm excited to hit golf shots under the gun on the weekend. I haven't done that in a long time, so I'm excited for that.”