Joel Dahmen Penalized for Extra Club at Black Desert Championship

Joel Dahmen, the American professional golfer, found himself in a challenging situation during the first round of the 2024 Black Desert Championship at Black Desert Resort in St. George, Utah. Dahmen was penalized four strokes for having an extra club in his golf bag, carrying a total of 15 clubs instead of the permitted 14 under the Rules of Golf.

“We got to the 4th tee, and I grabbed a water and walked over to my bag,” Dahmen recalled. “I saw a 4-iron that was in the wrong spot, and our stuff is always in the right spot. It wasn’t in the right spot.” The discovery meant two two-stroke penalties were applied, turning his initial score from 1-over 72 to a 5-over 76, placing him 131st in the 132-man field.

The penalty comes at an unfortunate time for Dahmen, who is currently ranked 124th on the FedEx Cup Fall points list. He needs to finish within the top 125 to retain his full-time PGA Tour status for 2025. Dahmen emphasized his confusion over the extra club’s presence in his bag, stating, “Never happened to me before.” He added that traveling with extra clubs depending on conditions is common among professional golfers.

Dahmen addressed the incident with accountability, stating, “I’d like to blame my caddie, Geno [Bonnalie], but it’s not his fault either.” Despite the setback, Dahmen tried to maintain a positive outlook, mentioning the support for his family foundation during the event.

The incident bears some similarity to the 2001 Open Championship situation with Ian Woosnam, where the golfer was penalized for a similar rule breach. However, Woosnam discovered the mistake in time to limit his penalty to two strokes.

The error placed Dahmen in a precarious position, especially given his recent decline in the Official World Golf Ranking, slipping to 229th. As of now, with the cutline projected around 2-under par, Dahmen has withdrawn from the event before the commencement of the second round.

The 2024 Black Desert Championship’s first round was suspended due to darkness, affecting several players who will complete their initial rounds before the second round’s beginning. Dahmen must now perform strongly in the remaining fall PGA Tour events to secure his standing and tour card for next year.