Joel Dahmen surged into the first-round lead at the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship on Thursday with a brilliant nine-under-par 61 at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina.
The American, who began the week ranked 101st in the FedEx Cup standings, is battling to secure a spot in the top 70 to qualify for next week’s season-ending playoffs. He answered the challenge with 10 birdies, including three in a row to finish his round on the 7th, 8th and 9th holes.
“I don’t know if you ever see 61 coming, but I saw good golf coming,” said Dahmen, who referenced a bogey-free stretch of 45 holes from last week. A win would move the 37-year-old up to 48th in the standings.
“The playoffs are a bonus for me,” he added. “I’m just going to go out and try to play good golf – and if I play really well, then I get to play another week.”
Sweden’s Alex Noren sits one shot back after an eight-under 62, highlighted by an eagle at the par-five 5th. England’s Aaron Rai, Colombia’s Nico Echavarria and Americans Mark Hubbard and Cameron Young are tied for third at seven under.
South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout posted a polished 65, building momentum with a string of mid-round birdies.
Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
