Joel Dahmen truly is a man of the people.
Over the years, not only has Dahmen separated himself from his peers in the way that he interacts with fans, but, for anyone who watched Netflix’s “Full Swing”, the 35-year-old also proved that he doesn’t take the game too seriously.
Remember, this is the same guy who said this during the Netflix series: “Somebody’s got to be the 70th-best golfer in the world. It might as well be me.”
‘Open up the tab’: Joel Dahmen nabs long-awaited first Tour victory
Sure, some may say that’s what holds Dahmen back from being a truly elite player. Or that he isn’t getting the most out of his ability. Or that he’s accepting mediocrity over legacy. But he’s not changing now so it’s awesome to see him (and fans) just embrace it.
The latest example of Dahmen being a fan fave came during a practice round leading up to the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
That’s when an errant drive of Dahmen’s drilled a fan named Caleb McGuire in the leg, according to a post on McGuire’s Twitter account. Sure, the ball left a mark and, presumably, was sore for the remainder of the day — but McGuire had quite the exchange with Dahmen because of it.
Not only did Dahmen come over to apologize for accidentally striking McGuire, but he also proceeded to hand over a $100 bill to buy beers with. Check out the tweet below for more details.
Shoutout to @Joel_Dahmen for hitting my calf with a tee shot today on hole #1! He proceeds to ask me how much a beer costs at the tourney and I tell him $17 a pop. He then pulls out a crispy $100 bill and says “I got your beers today.” 💯 ⛳️ 🍻 pic.twitter.com/oLIenCUj5q
— Caleb McGuire (@YourPalCal_) May 18, 2023
It’s impossible not to root for Dahmen. His vibe comes across as authentic, and it’s a nice change from the seriousness we often get from pro golfers. It’s almost Happy Gilmore-esque.
He’s not chirping about pace of play. He’s not complaining about what is and isn’t happening between competing pro tours. He’s just being himself, having fun and enjoying the ride.
Whether he’s hitting fairways — or fans.