Clarkston native Joel Dahmen, playing some of the finest golf of his career since the PGA restarted in June, enters the first event of the FedEx Cup playoffs well positioned to make some noise.

Clarkston native Joel Dahmen shot four rounds in the 60s, hung around on the PGA Championship leaderboard throughout and posted his best finish in a major.

Harding Park is renowned for producing champions who are among the best in golf, from Byron Nelson to Tiger Woods, and a long list of Hall of Famers and major champions in between.

A score of 59 is both magical and rare in golf. Joel Dahmen went one better Friday at Mesa (Arizona) Country Club.

Dahmen enjoyed the best stretch of his career before sports were sidelined by the coronavirus pandemic. He posted a pair of fifth-place finishes in his most recent tournaments and had a legitimate shot at his first Tour win at the Genesis Invitational at venerable Riviera Country Club.

Golf roundup:

Clarkston native Joel Dahmen shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday to advance 15 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for sixth place at the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.

Clarkston native Joel Dahmen shot 11-under par over his 36 holes to move into the top 10 at the Mayakoba Golf Classic at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Sunday

English builds a 36-hole lead at Mayakoba by chipping in for birdie on his last hole

It was a long wait for Clarkston native Joel Dahmen, but it was worth it. Dahmen’s chances of earning a spot in the 119th U.S. Open were good after he finished as the first alternate in a large sectional qualifier in Columbus, Ohio, packed with PGA players. Dahmen received word Sunday that he had been added to the 156-player field. The third major of the season unfolds Thursday through Sunday at Pebble Beach.

Spokane’s Alex Prugh is returning to the U.S. Open for the first time since 2007, when he competed as an amateur.

It’s been a long, challenging journey for Dahmen, who is making a lot of noise in his third year on the PGA Tour, soaking up every moment along the way and thankful for his unique life and golf path, both the good and bad.

No official stats track the pro-caddie tandem having the most fun on and off the PGA Tour, but Joel Dahmen and Geno Bonnalie might be leaders in the clubhouse.

Staked to a seven-shot lead, Koepka never let anyone get closer than five shots in the third round as he powered his way to an ideal start and overcame a few sloppy mistakes for an even-par 70.

Joel Dahmen readily admits he’s never going to be the next Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy. Nor does he want to be. Dahmen has been through enough ordeals to know the PGA Tour “isn’t life and death.” His mother died from pancreatic cancer when he was a junior in high school. His brother developed testicular cancer a short time later. Dahmen also developed testicular cancer in 2011. Yet here is: entering the weekend at the Wells Fargo Championship one shot behind leader Jason Dufner.

Joel Dahmen birdied five of his last six holes for a 6-under 66 and a share of the first-round lead with Matt Jones and Paul Dunne in the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship

The PGA Tour event that doesn’t have Tiger Woods this year instead has the Leaping Cougar. That’s a childhood nickname for Joel Dahmen, who took advantage of gentle conditions on a tough golf course for a 5-under 66 to share the early lead with Sepp Straka in the Valspar Championship.

Brandt Snedeker birdied the final two holes for a 7-under 65 and a three-stroke lead over Phil Mickelson and two others in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Safeway Open in Napa, California. Playing alongside Hall of Famer Fred Couples, Snedeker had eight birdies and a bogey on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa.

Michael Kim didn’t just win his first PGA Tour event on Sunday. He dominated in a fashion never seen at TPC Deere Run. Kim’s dominance overshadowed a breakout tournament by Clarkston High product Joel Dahmen, who tied for second place 19 under.