Joel Dahmen says he and former caddie Geno Bonnalie remain best friends as he explained the reason for the pair's split.
Dahmen and Bonnalie rose to fame via Netflix's Full Swing docuseries and officially split after last month's Scottish Open following a 20-year working relationship and six professional victories.
Dahmen has missed 11 of 20 cuts this season but has posted T17 and T39 finishes since switching loopers.
He had Brian Frazier on the bag at the Barracuda Championship and then his instructor and Oregon State men's golf head coach Jon Reehoorn at the 3M Open.
The switch appears to have paid off, with Dahmen carding a 61 to open the Wyndham Championship. The Washington man made 10 birdies and a solitary bogey to lead after round one with a score of nine-under-par.
He sits 101st in the FedEx Cup standings and needs a runner-up finish with no more than two other players to reach the Playoffs, which begin next week.
After his stunning opening round, he explained that he and former caddie Bonnalie remain best friends and also said he expects to see the caddie back out on tour soon.
"Man, I love Geno. We still text almost daily. He's doing well," Dahmen said.
"Yeah, I mean, I miss him but sometimes the hardest - you have to do something hard to - look, it wasn't an easy decision. I won't say I'm not happy about it but like it's hard.
"He's my best friend, he's still my best friend. But I had to change something with me. It was more about me. It was my mentality, it was what I was doing and I need to take ownership of what I was doing.
"I was not doing a good job of that. So a way for me to do it is as simple as just playing golf on my own a little bit.
"So yeah, I love him, I miss him. I think we'll see him out here again soon."
“It’s hard. I mean he’s my best friend.”Joel Dahmen feels his split with longtime caddie and (still) best friend Geno was the right move because it forces him to take more accountability of his game. But that doesn’t make it any easier. pic.twitter.com/AQYAUveudYJuly 31, 2025
