PGA Tour veteran Joel Dahmen and his longtime caddie Geno Bonnalie stunned the golf world last month when they announced they would no longer be working together.
Pro golfers changing caddies happens all the time and it isn't always huge news, but Dahmen and Bonnalie became fan favorites after starring in a few episodes of Netflix’s Full Swing. The two have been close friends for years and their bond both on and off the course has been a special one.
On Thursday after his opening-round 61 at the Wyndham Championship that currently has him in first place, Dahmen opened up for the first time with reporters about Bonnalie and his decision to find a new caddie.
"Man, I love Geno," Dahmen said. "We still text almost daily. He’s doing well. I miss him but sometimes you have to do something hard to… look, it wasn’t an easy decision. I’m… I wouldn’t say I’m happy about it, it’s hard. I mean, 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 needed to take ownership of what I was doing. I was not doing a good job of that. So for a way for me to do that was as simple as playing golf on my own for a little bit. So, yeah. I love him. I miss him and I think we’ll see him out here again soon."
“It’s hard. I mean he’s my best friend.”
— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) July 31, 2025
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/AQYAUveudY
Dahmen needs a really special week at the Wyndham to make the PGA Tour playoffs. If that doesn't happen he'll have more time to work on his game and more time to reflect on his days with Bonnalie, who was on his bag for Dahmen's only PGA Tour win in 2021.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Joel Dahmen Opens Up About Split With His Ex-Caddie Geno Bonnalie: ‘I Miss Him'.
