Popular professional earns Phoenix Open spot with polo-shirt gambit

Popular PGA Tour professional Joel Dahmen is hoping to mount a profession comeback in 2026. And thus far, so good. The one-time winner has back-to-back made cuts to start out the 12 months, together with a T7 at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open.

The subsequent cease for Dahmen is that this week’s 2026 WM Phoenix Open, however his strong end at Torrey Pines didn’t get him within the subject. Instead, Dahmen known as upon a controversial shirtless second from his Phoenix Open previous to earn his spot.

As he confirmed on Instagram, Dahmen hand-delivered a letter written on a polo shirt to the event sponsor, and he walked away with a tee time.

Joel Dahmen avoids fantastic for shirtless antics at WM Phoenix Open

Dahmen, 38, turned a preferred determine years in the past on Twitter, however his profile was raised once more together with his look on Netflix’s “Full Swing” in 2023. It was the 12 months earlier than that Dahmen had his shirtless second in Phoenix.

Dahmen performed the ultimate spherical of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open with good friend Harry Higgs. The night time earlier than Dahmen joked on Twitter that if he acquired sufficient retweets, the 2 professionals would take their shirts off on the famously rowdy par-3 sixteenth gap TPC Scottsdale.

When Higgs rolled in an extended par putt on 16, the joke turned actuality. Higgs eliminated his shirt, then Dahmen adopted swimsuit, and the 2 celebrated across the inexperienced as followers showered them with beer.

It seems each gamers obtained a stern name from the Tour following the incident, letting them know they could possibly be fined for his or her actions. Fortunately for them, the fines reportedly by no means happened.

Which brings us to this 12 months’s WM Phoenix Open, and Dahmen’s gambit to get a spot within the subject.

Dahmen writes letter on polo, earns Phoenix Open exemption

The previous few years have been a battle for Dahmen on the course. In 2024, he earned one top-10 and solely narrowly stored his Tour card for 2025.

Despite getting a runner-up amid three top-10s final season, Dahmen completed 93rd within the Fedex Cup standings and 122rd within the FedEx Fall.

As a outcome, he didn’t have an computerized spot within the WM Phoenix Open. He would want a sponsor’s exemption to play at TPC Scottsdale this 12 months.

Typically when not certified for an occasion, professionals write letters to the event sponsor requesting one of many small variety of exemptions they’re permitted to dish out.

But Dahmen took it one step additional to try to stand out from the opposite professionals hoping for a tee time.

In a nod to his shirtless second in 2022, Dahmen caught his sponsor exemption letter onto one among his golf polo shirts after which hand-delivered it to WM together with one among his trademark bucket hats.

The distinctive technique was first reported by Colt Knost on CBS’ Farmers Insurance Open broadcast on Sunday and later confirmed by Dahmen on Instagram.

In a narrative on Sunday, Dahmen posted a photograph of his letter to WM connected to his polo shirt, writing, “Yes, @coltknost was right. I put the letter on a polo and took to their office. Let’s have some fun next week!!!”

Now Dahmen and greater than 120 different PGA Tour professionals are on their option to TPC Scottsdale. The 2026 WM Phoenix Open will get underway this Thursday, February 5.