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It is that time of year on the PGA Tour.
Almost three months on from the dollar fest that is the FedEx Cup playoffs, a host of players are fighting to keep their PGA Tour cards – and therefore, their jobs.
With two events left in the FedEx Cup Fall season, only the top 125 players in the standings gain full exemption for 2025. That number will likely reduce to 100 in pending a PGA Tour Policy Board vote, creating an even more cutthroat environment from 2026 onwards.
But for now, 125 is the magic number and the pressure is on.
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Joel Dahmen, the fan favourite who skyrocketed in popularity for his humility and relatability on Netflix’s Full Swing docuseries, is one of those on the bubble.
The American’s T14 finish at last week’s World Wide Technology Championship helped him earn 52 FedEx Cup Fall points and jump from 124th to 121st in the standings.
Yet that didn’t provide too much respite, with only 39 points separating Dahmen and the player currently occupying 126th position, Dylan Wu. The last two events, starting at this week’s Bermuda Butterfield Championship, could prove career-defining.
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“I want to keep my job out here,” Dahmen said after only his third top-20 finish of the season in Mexico on Sunday. “My story is not finished.”
After this week’s trip to Bermuda, the finale of the Fall season takes place in Sea Island, Georgia, at the RSM Classic.
“It would mean the world (to retain membership),” he added. “I think it would mean more this year, just the grind that it’s been. “Golf has been relatively easy for me for five years. Haven’t really been in this position before … It’s really hard to keep grinding when things aren’t going your way.
“I knew I wasn’t going to win the golf tournament today, but you feel like you’re kind of in contention. It matters a lot. You can’t hide from it, it’s there. I know that (caddie) Geno (Bonnalie) is doing a great job about just going about our business.
“My wife is amazing about pretending everything is OK. And everything is OK. It’s not like it’s the end of the world, but I want to play good golf and I want to be out here on the PGA Tour.”
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