JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 2, 2026

Joel Dahmen

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. This ties your low round on tour since January. Was there anything that inspired you or that clicked today?

JOEL DAHMEN: That's not a great stat, by the way. It's been a long time since I've had a good low round out here.

No, I had a good two weeks off. Went back home, saw some family, spent some time on the lake. Just trying to be present.

Scar tissue is a real thing out here, and ten years of playing golf and sometimes really well and sometimes not so well. So just trying to take each week and each day as it is, honestly each shot. It's so cliche, but it's so hard to do. Trying to keep one foot in front of the other right now.

Q. Has anything been holding you back in your game recently? Has your attitude been strong throughout, or have you been fighting it?

JOEL DAHMEN: All my metrics stats-wise are good enough to be better than I've been this year, that's for sure. I think knowing that gives me confidence to come out and know that everything is kind of where it should be or could be. So instead of maybe trying to search for something or trying to find something, it's all right there.

My attitude has been really good, honestly. Some days are better than others, but it hasn't been the thing that's been holding me back like it maybe has in the past where.

Q. How much is FedEx Cup playoffs a goal for you in the next few weeks? What will it take for you to get there?

JOEL DAHMEN: I haven't really thought about that, honestly. This is day one of six weeks in a row. Just kind of going to put my head down for these six weeks and see where I end up at it.

I'm going to work on little, tiny things kind of each day. If it ends up with me at the first playoff event, then great. If not, then we've got a big fall ahead of us.

Q. You've got that grind coming up here. How important that was mental reset for you to just to get away? We don't realize how much of a grind it is out here for you.

JOEL DAHMEN: Totally. I think as much as you want to play in a U.S. Open, it also just completely beats you up, as well.

It was nice to get away, see family, get to the Northwest, see some trees and some water and get out of the heat. That was my first time my kid was really on a boat and out on a paddle board in the morning, so it was really fun to do that with him.

Yeah, the six weeks is a lot. My family is going to come for four of the six. It will be nice to have them out, but especially when it's this hot and we have hot ones coming up as well, so you have to conserve your energy. You have to be smart about things. You know, you have to definitely conserve.

Q. How nice was it to be back out in the heat and also kind of having a nice opening round?

JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, it's a nice opening round. I love this place. I love this event. The town comes out and supports it. John Deere has been incredible through the years. My kid is old enough to really enjoy the tractors now and enjoy all the things around town.

It's nice, and it's nice to get off to a good start. I've had success here in the past. You know, nice to get off to a good start.

Q. Joel, you birdied 4. It's been pretty polarizing this week with the changes that happened. What are your thoughts on those changes and how that kind of differs with what you do off the tee and how you approach the hole?

JOEL DAHMEN: It used to be a driver and flip wedge in there, and now it's a big golf hole. I hit 7-iron in. I hit, I don't know, 175-ish maybe in there.

Tough tee shot. If you miss it right, you're in the bunker, into the blind. If you miss it in the rough, it's also blind. It's important to hit a good tee shot.

The green is built kind of for a shorter shot, so when you have a longer 175-plus in there, it's a tough shot. It was nice to hit a good one in there and make the putt.

Q. With the heat especially and putting in a good round today, how much does that kind of change your mental approach and maybe give you an edge over anyone else?

JOEL DAHMEN: I don't know if it will do any of that, but I'm definitely going to -- I guess we'll play in the backyard with the kids. We have some water balloons. We have some pool stuff, some sprinkler stuff we'll play in probably. Conserving energy is a big thing, but you still have to be Dad when you get home.

Q. When you play on the weekend in the 4th, how do you balance that having that competitiveness but being able to lay back, spend some time with your family?

JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, so the good news is the evenings are great. We have a nice rental house with the Hubbards this week. They have their two kids with them. So they kind of run around, and it's full chaos, but it's kind of fun. We're going to barbecue. We're going to grill. We have some fireworks we're going to light off, and kids will probably miss their bedtime.

Q. Obviously this tournament historically is one you had to shoot low to do well in. Does that put pressure on you when you are out there?

JOEL DAHMEN: It can. If you think about 20-plus under as daunting when you are standing on the first tee on Thursday, right, but if you break it up into smaller, little segments, and you just play three holes or you just -- you don't -- yeah, the big number is daunting, but if you just keep hitting good golf shots and hitting the best shots you can, then it typically adds up to a lower score than normal.

Q. In your closing stretch of holes, what are you most pleased with the way you responded to each bogey?

JOEL DAHMEN: Yeah, I did respond well though those. 13 was just a crappy bogey, but nice birdie on 14. Then 15 is a hard hole. Didn't hit a very good drive there. Did make a nice putt on 16 and then to birdie on 17 and almost made birdie on 18.

That's kind of one of the things this week, you can't let the bogeys bother you too much, and there's birdie holes ahead.