‘Leaping Cougar’: PGA Tour Pro Takes Perfect Advantage of Valspar Championship Tradition

Every PGA Tour tradition is special in its own right. Tournaments or events all have their own set of traditions that mean a lot of different things and can be anything from humorous to meaningful. That being said, the Valspar Championship provides a fun element with customized bibs.

A unique tradition, many professionals choose a funny word to go with it. This time, Joel Dahmen’s chosen word was a highlight.

What word did Joel Dahmen choose at the Valspar Championship?

While words like ‘Kick me’ have been used in the past, Dahmen surprised everyone by using ‘Leaping Cougar.’ Cougar is a large cat species, and some recognize them as mountain lions. The name has a wild ring to it, which creates, at least, an interesting image on the court.

During a short interview, both Dahmen and his caddie Geno Bonnalie shed light on the name ‘Leaping Cougar,’ and how it came into existence. Dahmen asked Bonnalie if he remembered the story and then proceeded to repeat it himself. According to Dahmen, he used it three years ago. He even explained the tradition, adding that they can put anything on the bib as per the rules.

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“I used it again,” Dahmen said. “It’s about 3 years since the last time I played. Leaping Cougar comes from, I was probably in about kindergarten, and it was like a Boy Scout-type situation”. 

How exactly were the words chosen?

He mentioned a Christian Boy Scouts called Royal Rangers, for which his father had signed him up. They ended up naming Dahmen ‘Leaping Cougar’. As per the 34-yea-old, he had no hand in choosing the name. His brother, however, was apparently ‘Squatting Squirrel’.

Both men shared a laugh, with Bonnalie suggesting that they start using ‘Leaping Cougar’ much more regularly on the course. Eventually, both agreed that the name will be used if Dahmen pulls off something really cool on the course.

That being said, the Valspar Championship is Dahmen’s eighth event of the year. He last played the Players, finishing T33. Furthermore, the T6 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am has been his best score this year. With many events scattered throughout 2022, one can only look forward to more performances from Dahmen.

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