Joel Dahmen isn’t one to wear his emotions on his sleeve during tournaments, but when it came to parting ways with longtime caddie and best friend Geno Bonnalie, the PGA Tour pro couldn’t hold back. The golf world was still reeling from the emotional breakup, with fans and influencers like Paige Spiranac calling it “sad” and “heartbreaking.” Now, Dahmen has finally opened up and dropped a heartfelt update that sheds light on their friendship—and what Geno still means to him.

“It wasn’t an easy decision,” Dahmen confessed in his press conference ahead of the 2025 Barracuda Championship. “I won’t say I’m not happy about it, but it was hard. He’s my best friend—still is. But I had to change something with me.”

The split, which sent shockwaves across the PGA Tour and social media, wasn’t just about performance—it was about personal growth. Dahmen’s candid admission came months after their final outing at the Genesis Scottish Open, where another missed cut capped off a frustrating season. “I needed to take ownership of what I was doing,” Dahmen explained. “It was my mentality. So a way for me to do it was as simple as just playing golf on my own a little bit.”

This deeply personal decision followed a rough patch in Dahmen’s form. He currently sits outside the top 170 in the Official World Golf Ranking and has missed 12 cuts in 19 events this season. But through it all, his bond with Geno has remained strong. “We still text almost daily. He’s doing well… I love him. I miss him. I think we’ll see him out here again soon.”

A split that rocked Golf’s most genuine duo

For golf fans, the Dahmen-Geno split didn’t just signify a player-caddie change—it felt like the end of an era. Paige Spiranac, who has often commented on the heart behind professional golf stories, tweeted, “This one makes me sad,” echoing the sentiment of thousands. Sports personalities and fans alike chimed in with emotion-filled reactions, from “They represented purity” to “NEVER thought this would happen.”

What made Joel and Geno different was their authenticity. In a sport increasingly shaped by big-money deals and team-hopping drama, they stood as a reminder of something simpler: childhood friendship, shared dreams, and mutual respect. Geno first joined Dahmen in 2014 after sending him a heartfelt handwritten letter following his Korn Ferry Tour card win. Their story grew into one of the most beloved dynamics on the PGA Tour, even featured in Netflix’s “Full Swing.”

While Dahmen now enters a new chapter with a new bagman at the Barracuda Championship, it’s clear Geno’s absence will be felt far beyond the ropes. Whether Geno returns to another player’s bag or eventually reunites with Dahmen, fans know this isn’t just a breakup—it’s a pause in one of golf’s most genuine friendships.