Popular PGA Tour professional Joel Dahmen hopes to make a career comeback in 2026. And so far so good. The one-time winner has made back-to-back cuts to start the year, including one T7 at last week’s Farmers Insurance Open.
The next stop for Dahmen is this week’s 2026 WM Phoenix Open, but his solid finish at Torrey Pines didn’t put him in the field. Instead, Dahmen called on a controversial shirtless moment from his Phoenix Open past to earn his spot.
As he confirmed on Instagram, Dahmen handed a letter handwritten on a polo shirt to the tournament sponsor, and he walked away with a tee time.
Joel Dahmen avoids fine for shirtless antics at WM Phoenix Open
Dahmen, 38, became a popular figure on Twitter years ago, but his profile was re-highlighted when he appeared on Netflix’s “Full Swing” in 2023. It was the year before that Dahmen had his shirtless moment in Phoenix.
Dahmen played the final round of the 2022 WM Phoenix Open with friend Harry Higgs. The night before, Dahmen joked on Twitter that if he got enough retweets, the two pros would take their shirts off on the famously rowdy par-3 16th hole TPC Scottsdale.
When Higgs hit a long par putt on 16, the joke became reality. Higgs took off his shirt and Dahmen followed suit, and the two celebrated on the green as fans plied them with beer.
It turns out that both players received a stern phone call from the Tour after the incident, informing them that they could be fined for their actions. Fortunately for them, the fines reportedly never materialized.
That brings us to this year’s WM Phoenix Open and Dahmen’s gamble to earn a spot in the field.
Dahmen writes letter about polo and receives Phoenix Open exemption
The past few years have been a struggle for Dahmen on the course. In 2024 he achieved one top 10 and barely retained his Tour card for 2025.
Despite finishing second in three top-10 finishes last season, Dahmen finished 93rd in the Fedex Cup standings and 122nd in the FedEx Fall.
As a result, he did not automatically have a place at the WM Phoenix Open. He would need a sponsor exemption to play at TPC Scottsdale this year.
When pros are not qualified for an event, they typically write letters to the tournament sponsor asking for one of the few waivers they are allowed to hand out.
But Dahmen went one step further and tried to distinguish himself from the other pros hoping for a starting time.
In a nod to his shirtless moment in 2022, Dahmen taped his sponsorship exemption letter to one of his golf polo shirts and then hand-delivered it to WM, along with one of his signature bucket hats.
The unique strategy was first reported by Colt Knost during Sunday’s broadcast of CBS’ Farmers Insurance Open and later confirmed by Dahmen on Instagram.
In a story on Sunday, Dahmen posted a photo of his letter to WM on his polo shirt, writing: “Yes, @coltknost was right. I put the letter on a polo and went to their office. Let’s have some fun next week!!!”
;)
@joeldahmen on instagram
Now Dahmen and more than 120 other PGA Tour professionals are headed to TPC Scottsdale. The WM Phoenix Open 2026 starts next Thursday, February 5.
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