Joel Dahmen confirms he sent the greatest sponsor's exemption letter ever to the WM Phoenix Open
Mike Mulholland
With a T-7 finish as an alternate at the Farmers Insurance Open, Joel Dahmen hopes to take the momentum and ride it into the upcoming Waste Management Phoenix Open. It was revealed over the weekend that he had gotten into the event at TPC Scottsdale on sponsor's exemption after writing one of the better letters to the WMPO tournament directors you'll ever see.
During the broadcast of the final round at Torrey Pines, CBS analyst Colt Knost alluded to Dahmen's letter, which apparently was taped to one of his golf polos as a callback to the time he and Harry Higgs took their shirts off on the par-3 16th at TPC Scottsdale in 2022. Dahmen confirmed this fact on his Instagram story Sunday evening:
"This tournament has always meant more to me than a typical tour stop," said Dahmen, a Scottsdale resident. "It's home."
Dahmen, a fan favorite everywhere he goes thanks to the Netflix "Full Swing" afterglow, is a WMPO legend-for-life after his stunt with Higgs the pair shedding their shirts after Higgs made a long birdie putt in front of the raucous stadium crowd. That moment, the bucket hat and his Scottsdale ties make him as recognizable as any tour pro in the field.
"Over the years, I've tried to embrace what makes the WM different," he wrote. "The fans, the atmosphere, and the understanding that personality is part of the product. I like to think I contributed positively to that identity and helped showcase why this tournament stands apart on the schedule.
"And, for clarity," Dahmen continued, "if granted an exemption in 2026, I can confidently say I plan to keep my shirt on at all times—unless directed otherwise by the Thunderbirds [tournament host]."
That's how it's done, kids. Little creativity, little passion. Boom, you're in.
And now, because of this letter and his strong play in San Diego, Dahmen gets to still play the WMPO on the sponsor's exemption and get into the Cognizant Classic at PGA National in three weeks time via the top 10 at Torrey. Sandwiched in between the WMPO and that tournament are a pair of Signature Events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, which Dahmen could potentially play himself into with another high finish in Scottsdale. He would need to be inside of the AON Swing 5, which features the top five FedEx Cup point earners from the first four events of the season, including this week. As of now, Dahmen is still firmly on the outside looking in:
On Friday, Dahmen told Golf Digest he felt some nerves over the holiday season because he didn't have a set schedule after losing his tour card in 2025. With another strong week in Scottsdale, he could set himself up for the rest of the year and make serious headway on getting his card back for next year, too. Things change quickly when you just start playing better.