Refreshing Dahmen relishes chance to mix it with McIlroy and the big boys at Brookline

“I've done pretty well under pressure – the closer I get to it, I don't tend to just completely collapse,” said the 36-hole co-leader of the US Open

Sat, 18 Jun, 2022 - 16:37

Scott Michaux

BROOKLINE, Massachusetts – The Country Club is the quirky kind of course that presents opportunities for golfers of varying skills and backgrounds, many of whom you probably wouldn’t know without a program or Google search.

For instance, someone named MJ Daffue opened a three-shot lead on the field at one point Friday, and former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson could only identify him as “that one guy that was leading for a little while.”

It's possible you might not be able to pick 36-hole co-leader Joel Dahmen out of a police lineup with Hayden Buckley, Matt NeSmith and Callum Tarren, but that would be your loss. Because Dahmen is one of those golf characters worth knowing. And while he might not prevail against heavyweights like Collin Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler this weekend at the U.S. Open, it’s not going to be because the stage was too big for a guy like him.

“I've done pretty well under pressure – the closer I get to it, I don't tend to just completely collapse,” said Dahmen, who coolly capped a 68 late in the day Friday to back up his 67 on Thursday and put him in the last pairing with two-time major winner Morikawa.

“If I can keep hitting the ball this way, I can probably hang around for a long time. Rocco Mediate took Tiger to 91 holes; I think I can do okay.”

Perhaps that sounds strange from a guy with only one PGA Tour win — the 2021 Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship which was played opposite the 64 best players in the world competing in the WGC Match Play. But Dahmen belongs in the competitive conversation this weekend, as he should, considering he calls himself “the greatest backyard game player in the world – darts, cornhole – I would put myself against anyone.” Why not the U.S. Open golf championship?

“I love being in the moment on the weekend; late tee times, being around the crowds is what I love,” he said, and it showed as evening approached Friday evening and Dahmen wouldn’t wilt.

“It wasn't mounting because it's a climactic moment or a Sunday pressure or anything. It was just like, ‘Dude, you're playing really well, don't screw this up right now.’ Get out of your own way kind of thing. Just hit some golf shots, and I did that really well.” He’s taking the opportunity so seriously that when his early/late side of the draw left him time to attend a Ben Rector concert on Thursday night, he didn’t “have 100 beers like we typically do at the concerts.”

Dahmen is a refreshing character on tour, someone with a unique personality you can’t help but like – like a Max Homa. When the two of them faced off in a playoff as relative unknowns outside the world top 100 in the 2019 Wells Fargo Championship, observers didn’t realize how good they had it with that pair.

Dahmen admits that when he first came out on tour as a rookie, he adopted the persona of “pro golfer.” It didn’t suit him and his performance suffered. He simply doesn’t carry himself in the same way one expects serious golfers to act in competition.

“Those big guys just keep their head down and keep going, but I wave to people and I say, hi,” he said. “I've just got to keep doing that.” He and his even more engaging and entertaining caddie, Geno Bonnalie, just do their thing to relative success.

“I'm a little more laid back and like to have a little more fun,” Dahmen said. “And I have my best friend beside me in Geno, and he is a ton of fun, and he's fun to be around.

“You guys know Geno. He always comes up with something to say or some story that he's pulling out of his hat. I'd figure by now I would have heard all of them, but that is still not the case somehow. He does a good job of not talking about golf until it's golf time “We fight like brothers. We've had a couple dust-ups, and it's always me barking at him and being a jerk. Not so much even blaming him, just kind of being pouty and being a butthead out there. I have a very long leash, but every now and then he pulls on it, and I shape up rather quickly.

“It's kind of weird how just us being ourselves and putting it out there for everyone, it's kind of endearing. It's pretty cool to have people root for you.” Fans at events are naturally drawn to Dahmen, and he still can’t believe how he is recognized more often in public – even without his floppy hat that he wears on tour.

“It is unbelievable to me how many people know my name or yell for me out there. It's weird,” he said. “I'm getting recognized a little bit more off the golf course. My wife will look at me, like, what is happening? It's not normal. I don't know if I'll ever get used to it, but it comes with good golf.” With his rising celebrity, what’s the weirdest thing he’s ever autographed?

“Hmm. I haven't autographed a boob yet,” he said.

Now here he is, contending in a major championship he almost didn’t try to qualify for but grudgingly did because his caddie scheduled his flight for him after the 36-hole qualifier “so at that point I had to stick it out.” Where does leading the U.S. Open entering the weekend rank on his list of life experiences?

“Behind playing with Tiger, for sure,” he said. “Behind winning. Behind getting my tour card twice. I mean, it's up there. This is really cool, but it's really all for naught if you go lay and egg on the weekend. This is fun, but it would be really fun if I was doing this again Saturday and Sunday.

“Thirty-six holes left in a U.S. Open is a lot longer than 36 holes at any other golf course. We're just going to keep plugging ahead."