Max Adler from Golf Digest cranked out another gem recently. The latest is a great interview with PGA Tour HERO, Joel Dahmen. Why do I call Dahmen a hero? After reading this interview, he may be the most relatable and “normal” professional golfer I’ve seen in the modern game. Coming from a humble background growing up around Clarkston, Washington (shout out Reinland family!), Dahmen took the long route to the PGA Tour and becoming one of the top-100 players in the world. Adler’s interview gives some great insight into that journey as well as perspective on what it’s like for a lesser-known player making it.
There’s the usual “explaining the differences between a pro and a good player” that you’d expect, but there are other points that make this a lot more interesting. Dahmen talks about how the developmental Tours were full of support and camaraderie, but the big leagues are a lonely place at first.
“Until you can walk into a lunch room and feel like you can sit anywhere, it’s a lonely existence. A lot of time with my phone. … The PGA Tour is every man for himself. …in the beginning the tour is not a welcoming place. Especially if you’re not playing well. No one is going to bother investing time to get to know you until it’s apparent you’re keeping your card for a while.”
There are two things that Dahmen has sort of become known for. The biggest might be when Dahmen argued that Sung Kang took a bad drop in one of their rounds. (This is covered in the interview.) The other is his signature bucket hat. While we don’t often wear bucket hats at DRH, we are massive bucket hat supporters and can CERTAINLY relate to the story of how he adopted the style.
“…some buddies and I get on Fishers Island Club the week heading into Hartford. Loved the place. I’m not an architecture junkie, but it’s so fun and refreshing to play a course that isn’t a million yards and tree-lined. So I buy a hat in the shop. I wear it at Hartford but miss the cut, so no one notices. But the next week in Washington, D.C., I get paired with Tiger on Saturday, so it gets all this attention. Everyone’s teasing my wife, Lona, calling me the zookeeper and the beekeeper. But three weeks later, I had a hat deal. I also heard from our Fishers host that the club got inundated with requests for bucket hats they couldn’t fill, so I do take pride in selling out their pro shop.”
While none of us have become famous for wearing bucket hats (or played Fishers Island), you can absolutely count on us to make sure we pick up some random thing from a pro shop of a historical golf course that we’ll wear into the ground. I would venture to say that Jon, Tommy, and myself would all say that creating crazy demand for a pro shop item and forcing it to sell out would be a crowning achievement for our golf legacies. Oh, Joel Dahmen also once played a professional round in a paper Waffle House hat…
Yep, I love that. That’s the kind of stuff that earns you actual hero status amongst the driving range heroes of the world.
Anyway, it’s a great read and definitely made me a fan of Dahmen. He also talks about what it was like being paired with Tiger, what he wants to accomplish in the near future, and just generally what it’s like being a regular guy out on Tour. Head over and check out the whole thing (here) if you have a chance. At the least, keep your eyes on Joel Dahmen on the leaderboards.
