ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — PGA Tour champion Patrick Fishburn carded a bogey-free 8-under 64 for his first lead after any round. Joel Dahmen was 10 shots back and had plenty of reason to celebrate Friday at the RSM Classic.
Dahmen made a 5-foot par putt on his final hole for a 2-under 68 in difficult conditions brought on by the wind and cold, allowing him to cut the number and get two more days to secure his PGA Tour card next year. He is number 124 in the FedEx Cup standings.
“I have a lot more to write this weekend for sure,” said Dahmen, who recently said that his story is not over yet. “But without getting the chance to play this weekend, my story will be very short this year.”
Fishburn took advantage of the easy Plantation course, with trees blocking the wind and two additional par 5s. He was also helped by Maverick McNealy, who opened with a 62 on the tough Seaside course, made two bogeys late in his round and had to get -70.
Fishburn, who has already closed his card for next year, was 11-under 131 and led McNealy and Lee Hodges (63) going into the weekend. Michael Thorbjornsen had a 69 and was the only player to face Seaside on Friday who was in the top five.
What mattered on this day, however, was further down the leaderboard.
The RSM Classic is the final tournament of the PGA Tour season, and only the top 125 in the FedEx Cup have full status in 2025. That’s more important than ever with a trip that only takes the top 100 to earn full cards after next season. Players like Dahmen will need full fitness to get as many playing opportunities as possible.
That explains why he felt so much pressure on Friday. He didn’t make a bogey after his opening hole and was battling temperatures in the low 50s that felt even colder when the wind blew off the Atlantic waters at St. Simons Sound. He made a key birdie on the 14th, hitting a 4-iron with his second shot on the 424-yard hole.
Dahmen also hit a par to 2 feet on the 16th that put him on the cut line, and from the 18th fairway, he was safely on the green about 40 feet. But he fell woefully short, leaving himself a struggling 5-footer with his career on the line.
“It was a great putt. I was so nervous,” Dahmen said. “But there’s still work to be done. It wasn’t the game-winner, it was like a field goal to go to halftime. But other than that, and the way I played today, I wouldn’t have had anything this weekend. .”
His teammates were not so lucky. The trip put three at risk of losing their cards to one team — Zac Blair (No. 123), Dahmen and Wesley Bryan (No. 125).
The cut was at 1-under 141. Blair and Bryan came to the 18th hole needing a birdie to ensure they would make the cut and both narrowly missed. Now they have to wait to see if anyone passes them, which they often do.
Thorbjornsen who tied for the fourth game and Daniel Berger (66 at Plantation) who tied for 17th are both expected to move to 125. Dahmen certainly has work to do.
Fishburn gets the weekend to see if he can end his rookie year with a win.
“I’ve had a lot of experience playing in the cold when I was growing up in Utah, playing this time of year, I’m used to playing when the body isn’t right and you have to move your hands,” said Fishburn. who played college golf at BYU. “I’m very happy with the way I played.”
Ludvig Åberg, the defending champion and world No. 5 who is competing for the first time in more than two months after knee surgery, bounced back with a 64 at Plantation and is back in the mix.
Aberg played with Luke Clanton, a Florida State sophomore who looks like he’s coming into his own each week. Clanton, the world’s No. 1 junior player with a sponsor’s exemption, had a 65 at Plantation and was two shots off the lead.
Clanton already has a runner-up and two other top 10 finishes from June.
“Playing with him, it’s great to watch,” Clanton said. “We were a little bit like fans. I know he’s a really good guy, but playing with him and seeing what he’s done in the last few years, it’s very inspiring.”
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