Joel Dahmen says there’s a ‘problem’ on the PGA Tour he cannot fix as change is made which he doesn’t like

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Joel Dahmen managed to save his PGA Tour card on the final day of the RSM Classic, as he shot a 64 on Sunday to move back into the top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings.

One of the main storylines heading into the RSM Classic concerned those who would move in and out of the top 125 in the standings for the season, with Joel Dahmen in 124th spot and in danger of losing his card.

Ultimately, Dahmen did what he needed to do. He made a crucial putt on Friday to make the cut, before producing a brilliant round on Sunday to earn enough points to ensure that he will be a full member on the PGA Tour next year.

However, his task may be a lot tougher next season. The PGA Tour recently confirmed that changes had been voted through which will see field sizes reduced, and the number of tour cards handed out each year dropping from 125 to 100.

Joel Dahmen issues verdict on changes coming to the PGA Tour in 2026

The Korn Ferry Tour will see 20, rather than 30, players promoted each year. Unsurprisingly, the proposals attracted a lot of criticism, with Padraig Harrington suggesting that there were terrible. Meanwhile, Brandel Chamblee said it was a sad day for golf when the changes were passed.

It has been suggested that the changes are designed to help tackle the problem of slow play. But speaking on Subpar, Dahmen insisted that he is not at all convinced that the decision will have any sort of positive impact on the game.

“My stance is I’m going to play where they give me a tee time at any spot available right now. But I don’t love it. I think the game’s deeper than it’s ever been. And I guess Lucas Glover’s mentioned don’t challenge my intelligence by saying it’s a pace of play problem. They had pace of play problems at the Bahamas with 20 people on the ground. So it’s not that,” he said.

“Now, yes, we have a pace of play problem on the PGA Tour, that’s fine. I’m not going to fix that, I’m not smart enough to do it. But we’re the only professional organisation in sports that is shrinking, everyone else is growing. So I don’t know. If you’re going to shrink this, I already didn’t like how they were forcing guys who were going to the Korn Ferry Tour, the Q School aspect of it.

“Now you’re forcing guys to go over there that are good enough to be on tour now, and you didn’t elevate the purses. You’ve got to make them whole; you can finish 60th on the Korn Ferry and barely make money after travelling, especially if you have a family out there. So let’s bump those purses, I’m not saying crazy, but you’ve got to make it where you can at least make a living. And I just don’t like how you’re shrinking it and shrinking it and the players are getting better and better, and there’s more young talent out there.”

The field sizes set to change on the PGA Tour in 2026

It seems imperative that the PGA Tour makes sure that there are opportunities for players to make a living on the Korn Ferry Tour. The DP World Tour also offers a pathway to the PGA Tour, with 10 new players earning cards each year.

The concerns will be that the changes are going to lead to the PGA Tour becoming more of a closed shop – designed to help the best players hold onto their spots and making it so much more difficult for those knocking on the door to break through.

The large majority of the events in 2026 will see field sizes reduced. And when you consider how often players needed to come back the following day to finish their rounds, it is hard to imagine that these changes are going to make enough of a difference.

Obviously, it is the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy who attract the most fans to events. But when they are not playing tournaments such as the Butterfield Bermuda Championship anyway, you do have to wonder if the positives are actually going to outweigh the negatives.

It is no surprise that there are so many doubters as these changes edge closer.