by Garrett Johnston | @JohnstonGarrett
Andrew Putnam of Tacoma and Joel Dahmen of Clarkston both made spirited runs last week at the PGA TOUR’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
At one point in the middle of the final round, Dahmen and Putnam were tied for the lead (along with Jordan Spieth and Patrick Cantlay). Dahmen briefly held the solo lead after his sixth hole in the final round.
Putnam was the 2010 WA Golf Player of the Year, winning the 2010 Pacific Coast Amateur, held that year at Eugene (Ore.) Country Club. He won the PGA TOUR’s Barracuda Championship in 2018.
Dahmen won the 2007 Washington Men’s Amateur, and earned his first PGA TOUR victory last year at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship.
Putnam is coming off two top-27 finishes to start his 2022 season. He played in the final pairing with Beau Hossler on Sunday, shooting 1-over 73 and settling for a tie for sixth which is his best finish since a runner-up at the Barracuda Championship last year.
Dahmen played with Jordan Spieth and shot a final round even-par 72 that also left him in a tie for sixth. Dahmen held the outright lead as he stood on the iconic par 3 seventh hole, but unfortunately could not keep the momentum going to the finish. The 34-year-old’s chances of winning faded with bogeys on four of his last eleven holes.
Joel Dahmen has yet to play in the Masters. The top 50 in the official world golf rankings by March 28 get in this year's field at Augusta. Dahmen's T6 moved him a little closer and into the top 100. He went from 106th to 96th with seven tournaments until the deadline.
Garrett Johnston has covered over 35 major championships and lives in Washington, DC. His podcast “Beyond the Clubhouse” includes top PGA TOUR players, caddies and broadcasters.
