Joel Dahmen admits "fear of having real job" driving him forward at RSM Classic

PGA Tour pro Joel Dahmen admitted the anxiety of having a real job is driving him forward as he made his move at the RSM Classic.

Ben Smith

18 Nov 2022

Joel Dahmen admits "fear of having real job" driving him forward at RSM Classic — Joel Dahmen admits "fear of having real job" driving him forward at RSM…

Joel Dahmen conceded he's scared of having a real job and he's motivated by fear every time he tees it up as he moved into position after two rounds at the RSM Classic on the PGA Tour.

Dahmen signed for a somewhat indifferent opening round of 3-under 67 on Thursday.

It was a completely different story on Friday, however, as he carded a flawless round of 8-under 64.

Dahmen - who recently heaped praise on embattled PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan - made birdies at 1, 6, 8 and 9 before making four more at 10, 16, 17 and 18.

He joked the best part was beating Ireland's Seamus Power on the day.

But really, it's the anxiety of potentially failing at this golf thing that drives him.

He told the media:

"I've been playing with fear since forever, since I got my Tour card really. I'm scared to death of having a job. I've never really had one. Pretty good spot financially with the family right now and I just don't -- I mean, I don't want to give this up. It's one of the most coveted things in all of sports is a PGA Tour card. Yeah, I just don't want to give this up."

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Dahmen added:

"Golf's hard. Golf is very hard and it can go sour quickly. To play with freedom for a year and a half, two and a half years really, never had that in my career. So yeah, like teeing up in Napa was like OK, we're back at square one. If you don't play well, you don't have a job. I was very aware of that, for sure. And maybe, yeah, I don't think about it necessarily when I'm out there, but there's been a couple extra days of practice for sure. I mean, I've always kind of played better when my back's against the wall a little bit, and it's hard to say your back's against the wall when you're starting out a year, but for the first time in a couple years it was different for me, for sure."

By day's end it was Andrew Putnam (65) and Harry Higgs (63) out in front at 12-under par, one shot ahead of Dahmen.

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