Emotions ran high at Sea Island Golf Club on Sunday as two very different stories unfolded at the RSM Classic. Joel Dahmen celebrated keeping his PGA Tour card by the skin of his teeth, while Hayden Springer faced the harsh reality of falling just short.
Dahmen and his caddie Geno Bonnalie cracked open celebratory beers, their relief palpable after securing the 124th spot in the FedExCup standings – keeping his Tour card by roughly eight points.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
Joel Dahmen
207
23
$12,248,632
“I never saw us not finishing in the top 125,” Bonnalie said, though his confidence masked weeks of anxiety. “Maybe I just didn’t want to admit that we were really close to losing a full-time job.”
The difference between making it and missing out? Two crucial 6-foot putts. One to make the cut on Friday, another to seal the deal on Sunday.
Just minutes before Dahmen’s celebration, a much different scene played out. Hayden Springer, 27, stood quietly trying to process falling one shot short of keeping his Tour card.
It’s been an unimaginably tough year for Springer. Last October, he and his wife Emma lost their 3-year-old daughter Sage to a rare genetic disorder. Through their faith, they’ve somehow found strength to carry on.
“We’ve been through harder, we’ve lived through worse things,” Emma said after Sunday’s disappointment. “Whatever happens, it’s going to be OK.”
The Springers have a 2-year-old named Annie and are expecting their third child in January. Every Sunday, they wear pink – it was Sage’s favorite color.
Despite hitting three balls in the water and battling wayward tee shots, Springer fought until the very end. He needed two birdies in his final four holes to keep his card.
He got one. It wasn’t enough.
Dahmen’s path to salvation included an impromptu morning dance party with his family and caddie, followed by holing out for eagle from 113 yards. But standing over that final 6-footer, his body was shaking.
“I’ve had a lot of those,” Dahmen said. “And I’ve made a lot of those.”
He made this one too.
“I don’t want to go through this ever again,” Dahmen admitted afterward, while Springer was left hoping for just one more chance.
The cruel reality of professional golf played out in real time: one man’s celebration is another’s heartbreak. For Springer, it’s off to Q-School. For Dahmen, it’s back to the PGA Tour for an eighth straight year.
