A lot has happened since Joel Dahmen last teed it up in a PGA Tour event seven weeks ago. He is now a married man, and he and his wife spent their recent down time further settling into the Scottsdale, Ariz., home they purchased in the summer.
It’ll be back to golf this week when Dahmen plays in the Sony Open at Hawaii starting Thursday. Now in the midst of his third season on Tour, the Clarkston High graduate believes his place in elite golf has also evolved.
“There’s no reason I can’t have a long, successful career versus just trying to keep my card every year,” Dahmen said in a phone interview with the Tribune. “My mind set has definitely changed on that, as of last summer. It’s like, ‘You know what? I can compete out here. There’s no reason that I can’t spend 10, 15 years out here.’”
As the latter portion of the 2018-19 season gets going, Dahmen’s footing looks solid. The 31-year-old is 72nd in the FedExCup standings — the top 125 at the end of the season are assured of a Tour spot next year — and he made all six cuts in the events he played in before the Tour’s customary winter break. His best showing in those tournaments was just 26th, but he did claim $193,769 in prize money.
He’ll be busy over the next few months. He’s looking forward to early Feburary’s raucous Phoenix Open — which is played on his home course and is known for its party-like atmosphere — and an appearance in The Players Championship in mid-March. Dahmen won’t play in any of the four majors, but he might score invitations to events named for Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.
He’s also more comfortable on Tour, with friends such as Nick Taylor (once his roommate at the University of Washington) and Brandon Harkins (who Dahmen often practices with) also at the top level.
Dahmen and his wife, Lona Dahmen (nee Skutt), started dating seven years ago but had a quick four-month engagement. They decided to get married Dec. 19, in part so their friends associated with golf wouldn’t have to skip any tournaments. Their wedding was at Royal Palms Resort in Phoenix.
The officiant was Lewiston resident Geno Bonnalie — Dahmen’s longtime friend and caddy.
“We had Geno marry us, which was kind of perfect,” Dahmen said.
Prior to the wedding and during the holiday, Dahmen didn’t spent much time focused on golf. It was only this past week that he “really cranked it up.”
Dahmen has spent time working on his putting mechanics, which is something “I probably needed to address before now.” If he can brush up his short game, he’s expecting good results.
“I feel like I’m continually getting better all the time,” Dahmen said. “I’ve got plenty of stuff to work on, but at the same time, I’m excited for this season to get going, I’m excited to start on the West Coast here. I guess I’m just really confident going into 2019.”
Baney may be contacted at mbaney@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2258.
