Joel Thelen

Exempt status

• Korn Ferry Tour: Finishers 76-100 on Regular Season points list and additional Qualifying Tournament finishers (thru 2020)

JOINED TOUR

• Korn Ferry Tour: 2020

Personal

• Favorite course he's played is Chateau Whistler and wants to play Augusta National and Pebble Beach.
• Favorite pro sports teams are the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks.
• Has also worked as a welder.
• Brother, Mitchell, was a Texas Mixed Martial Arts title belt holder in 2008.
• He and his parents met his wife and her family during a golf tournament in 2009 in California. The trip was the first time his parents flew on a plane and his first trip to California.
• He remembers playing golf with his grandparents and uncles during visits to Michigan. He always begged them to keep playing.
• Remembers attending the 2007 AT&T Byron Nelson with his dad and was impressed by the way Davis Love III walked. Remembers seeing Jimmy Walker striping it on the range.
• Before golf, he raced motocross for a few years. Grew up playing football, basketball, soccer, racing and always wanted to be a professional athlete. He was also home schooled.

Special Interests

CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

• Quito Open: Used a 69-67-64 start at Quito Tennis and GC in early May to forge his way into a tie for the 54-hole lead with Manav Shah and Mitchell Meissner. Playing in the final group, fired a 4-under 68 Sunday but Shah pull ahead to win by two shots. Ended T2 with Meissner.
• JHSF Aberto do Brasil: Was solid at Fazenda Boa Vista in late-April, opening with a 1-under 70 then posting two 67s and a third-round 66 to finish along in seventh in Brazil’s national open.

Career Highlights

2022 Season

Saw action in 12 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica tournaments, making it to the weekend eight times and recording a two top-10s. Finished his campaign ranked No. 22 in the Totalplay Cup standings to retain his playing privileges for 2023.

• Quito Open: Used a 69-67-64 start at Quito Tennis and GC in early May to forge his way into a tie for the 54-hole lead with Manav Shah and Mitchell Meissner. Playing in the final group, fired a 4-under 68 Sunday but Shah pull ahead to win by two shots. Ended T2 with Meissner.
• JHSF Aberto do Brasil: Was solid at Fazenda Boa Vista in late-April, opening with a 1-under 70 then posting two 67s and a third-round 66 to finish along in seventh in Brazil’s national open.

2021 Season

Finished fourth at the Dev Series Final in Mexico to earn exempt status for the 2021-22 PGA TOUR Latinoamerica season.

• Dev Series Final: Finished alone in fourth at El Tigre GC outside Puerto Vallarta in October. Had an up-and-down four days, shooting scores of 69 and 63 in the first and third rounds and 73-69 in second and final rounds. Ended the tournament at 14-under, two shots out of the Roland Massimino-Jaime López Rivarola playoff that Massimino won.
• IV Tequila Azulejos Cup (Mex): Shot a final-round, 1-under 71 at Tres Vidas GC in Acapulco to T4 with Raul Pereda in early March. Finished four shots short of winner Jose De Jesus Rodriguez.

2019 Season

In his first season on PGA TOUR Series-China, played in eight events, with made cuts in half of his starts. Finished the season 101st on the Order of Merit.

• China QT #1-Foison Golf Club: Earned conditional PGA TOUR-Series China status with his T22 finish in March at Foison GC in Guangzhou.

2018 Season

Played in two PGA TOUR Latinoamerica tournaments, with one made cut—a top-10 performance. Completed the year 115th on the Order of Merit.

• 59 Abierto Mexicano de Golf: In Tijuana, opened with a 5-under 65 then followed with a 68-67 second- and third-round performance to sit three shots off the lead with 18 holes to play. Fired a Sunday, even-par 70 to T8 with Chris Williams.

2016 Season

On PGA TOUR Canada, only made two cuts among his 11 appearances. Ended the season 123rd on the Order of Merit.

• Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-Canada: Earned conditional PGA TOUR Canada status with his T9 in May at Crowne Isle in Courtenay, British Columbia.

2015 Season

In nine PGA TOUR Canada appearances, made two cuts. Closed the year 162nd on the Order of Merit.

• PGA TOUR Canada Q-School-California: Finished T16 to acquire PGA TOUR Canada conditional status at La Purisma GC in Lompoc, California.

Q SCHOOL GRADUATE

• Korn Ferry Tour: 2019