Joel Dahmen went from contemplating skipping his 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier two weeks ago in Ohio to sharing the early first-round lead at the 122nd U.S. Open.
Dahmen hit 12 of 14 fairways, carded birdies on three of his final five holes at The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts, and posted 3-under 67, matching his best score in a major. Asked if he was happy with his decision to go play the qualifier after all, he smiled and said, “Certainly am now.”
Dahmen may be golf’s foremost straight shooter. He once refused to participate in an anonymous player poll unless he could put his name on his answers. He’s nothing if not forthright and gave a window into what a 34-year-old professional golfer with one opposite-field victory on the PGA Tour thinks of his chances of winning one of the big ones.
