One day after shooting a course-record 62, Clarkston native Joel Dahmen quickly dismissed the golf axiom that it’s typically tough to follow a low round with another low score.
Dahmen birdied five of the first seven holes and finished with a 6-under 66 Friday at Corales Golf Course to take a four-shot lead midway through the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Dahmen, who registered his only PGA Tour victory at this event in 2021, has played the front nine in 10 under. He’s bogey-free through 36 holes.
“Obviously I have great memories here,” the 37-year-old Dahmen told Golf Channel after his second round. “My game has really been pretty good this whole year. I’m making lot of putts this week, especially on the front nine.”
Dahmen made a career-best 10 birdies in Thursday’s opening round. His 16-under 128 is a tournament record through 36 holes.
“Sixteen is pretty good anywhere you’re playing,” said Dahmen, who was a two-time state champion at Clarkston High. “I’ve never been in this position before, maybe back in my amateur days. Two great days, need two more of them.”
Dahmen, No. 77 in the FedEx Cup standings entering the tournament, has hit 24 of 28 fairways (85.7%) and 27 of 36 greens in regulation (75%). He’s a perfect 9 of 9 in scrambling and his 1.48 putts per green in regulation ranks third in the field.
Garrick Higgo, Charley Hoffman and Michael Thorbjornsen share second at 12-under 132. Chan Kim, Dylan Wu and Keith Mitchell share fifth at 11-under 131.
Matt Wallace, 2023 Corales champion, is tied for eighth, six strokes behind.
Dahmen and the left-handed Higgo tee off Saturday at 10:50 a.m. PT with Hoffman and Thorbjornsen in the second-to-last group at 10:40. Golf Channel’s coverage begins at noon.
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