BROOKLINE, Mass. — You probably don’t know Joel Dahmen. But you probably feel like you do.
Dahmen’s coming off his opening round at the U.S. Open and he’s eager to chat about a game he just tried for the first time. It’s like cornhole, but you play it while you’re in the pool. The fact that you’re floating, he says, makes it tougher to dial in your tosses.
A reporter asks him if that means he’s treading water the entire time. He laughs.
“No, no. You’re on a floatie,” he says. “We’re not actually athletes.”
You have a buddy just like him. Killer instinct in a backyard competition. Willing to tip back a cold one or five. Competitive but self-deprecating. Always good for a good time. The difference is that your buddy isn’t contending at the U.S. Open.
It’s Thursday and Dahmen struts his way into the press center. He grins out at the small group of assembled media. He’s just finished off an opening round of three-under 67, which leaves him tied for first with Rory McIlroy and two others.