Joel Dahmen competed in the WMPO 2026 with a sponsor exemption, and he recently admitted that receiving it was as difficult as scoring a "date."

The 38-year-old appeared on the February 24 episode of the Trey Wingo and Trey Wingo Golf podcast, where he discussed multiple topics with host Trey Wingo. While it was Wingo who pulled up the analogy, comparing PGA Tour sponsors to "dating someone," Dahmen's comments displayed that he was in good agreement with it.

He supported Wingo's opinion, stating, "You’re exactly right, I even said this to Jason [Eisenberg] for WM [that] this feels like a date." However, Dahmen didn't stop after asking for a single exemption from Eisenberg, which he called his "second date."

He revealed, "And I messaged him a few days later. I was like, ‘Hey, I'd prefer a second date to be at the golf tournament. You know, let me know if there's anything.’"

Dehman also said, "You gotta sell yourself a little bit,” since impression matters. “It’s difficult for them, and you just hope you have had a relationship with them over the years,” said the 39-year-old, explaining how being nice to the sponsors can help one earn the exemption, and drawing a parallel to how the same approach can help men score dates.

But now that he had mastered the technique, he hoped for a few more exemptions, saying, "Hopefully that’s going to get me a few more starts this year along the way."

Joel Dahmen and his Upcoming PGA Appearances

While Dahmen has played the WMPO with a sponsor exemption, he is playing the 2026 season on a conditional PGA Tour status.

To compete, he would have to either get another sponsor exemption similar to the WMPO, or enter as an alternative, all while improving his rankings.

Dahmen’s performance and T7 ranking at the Farmers Insurance Open confirmed his place for the Cognizant Classic set to begin on 26 February. This tournament will also define his journey for future PGA Tour tournaments.

But do you think he will compete in more tournaments this year through sponsor exemptions? Let us know in the comments section.

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Written by

Pulkit Prabhav

Edited by

Souvik Roy