"It was time to take ownership" - Joel Dahmen reflects on painful split with longtime caddie and best friend Geno Bonnalie

Joel Dahmen and his longtime caddie Geno Bonnalie recently parted ways. The one-time PGA Tour winner has opened up about the painful split, saying that it had to happen because something needed to change.

Dahmen and Bonnalie developed a close friendship over the years and became even more popular after being featured in Netflix’s “Full Swing.”

During a press conference at the 2025 Wyndham Championship, the 37-year-old pro golfer acknowledged that he missed his ex-caddie and best friend. However, he shared that the split was a move he made in order to hold himself more accountable to his game.

“Man, I love Geno, you know, we still text almost daily. He’s doing well. Yeah, I mean, I miss him… I wouldn’t say I’m not happy about it, but like, it’s hard. I mean, he’s my best friend. He’s still my best friend. But I had to, I had to change something with me,” Dahmen said. “It was more about me, it was my mentality, it was what I was doing and I needed to take ownership of what I was doing, I was not doing a good job of that. So, for a way, for me to do it as simple as just playing golf on my own for a little bit. So yeah, I love him, I miss him. I think we’ll see him out of here again soon,” he added.

Joel Dahmen and Geno Bonnalie’s relationship lasted for over a decade. They worked together for two years on the Korn Ferry Tour, and when the former earned his PGA Tour card in 2016, they continued the journey together.

Dahmen’s longtime coach Rob Rashell is temporarily caddying for him at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. However, it is unclear who Bonnalie’s permanent replacement will be going forward.

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How did Joel Dahmen perform in the 2025 Wyndham Championship, Round 1?

Joel Dahmen at the 2025 Wyndham Championship - First Round - Image Source: Imagn

Joel Dahmen is off to a good start at the 2025 Wyndham Championship and has taken an early lead following the conclusion of the first round. He fired four birdies on Sedgefield Country Club’s front nine and shot his only bogey of the day on the par-4 14th hole.

Dahmen fired through the back nine with three consecutive birdies and a total of six birdies across nine holes. At the end of the round, he carded 9-under 61, shooting up the leaderboard to take the solo lead in the tournament. Meanwhile, Alex Noran is in second place with 8-under.

Joel Dahmen headed into the tournament at 101st on the FedEx Cup standings. He is now projected to land in the top 50, which would give him a spot at the BMW Championship.

Edited by Samya Majumdar