Joel Dahmen
Joel Dahmen fired a final-round 68 Sunday for a one-stroke victory at the PC Financial Open, the first PGA Tour Canada event of the season.
The 26-year-old American made a charge on the back nine and finished with a two-putt birdie on the final hole to beat Eugene Wong of North Vancouver, B.C., and Brad Clapp of Chilliwack, B.C., who tied for second after both missed birdie putts inside 10 feet to tie.
Dahmen said the win helped exorcise some demons from a handful of missed opportunities last year.
"I was pretty hard on myself after last year. I didn't close on Sunday and didn't get through Q-School, and I really thought I was going to be on the Web.com Tour this year," said Dahmen, who earned $27,000 for the win. "I was pretty down over the winter. To put the time in and come out here and win the first event is just incredible."
The win also sees Dahmen continue to succeed in the wake of a battle with testicular cancer in 2011. He underwent chemotherapy treatments and successfully returned to the Tour later that year.
"There were definitely some doubts there when I was going through chemo and laying on the couch and wondering if I'd ever get back to the golf course again," said Dahmen. "Thankfully that's behind me and I'm as strong as ever."
Wong, who started the day with a bogey but fought his way back to take the outright lead late on the back nine, posted his best finish since a win at The Great Waterway Classic in 2012. Clapp meanwhile recorded his first top-10 finish in just his first start as a Tour member.