BLAINE, Minnesota — Fans have flocked to the TPC in Blaine for a chance to see their golf favorites play in the 3M Open.
One of those favorites may not be atop the leaderboard, but Joel Dahmen is carving out a niche as the People's Champion.
The 36-year-old has been on the PGA Tour for nearly 10 years, but it's not necessarily his game that people identify with. His signature bucket hat, beer-chugging skills and self-deprecating humor won over a legion of fans who were glued to the Netflix docuseries "Full Swing." The show shadowed a handful of PGA Tour golfers including Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, and Brooks Koepka.
"When we first signed up, we were like, 'Oh cool. We will do this little segment.' We didn't know Joel would go viral overnight," Dahmen's wife Lona shared.
Lona joins Joel in his travels about 20 out of the 26 weeks he's away from home. Their toddler son Riggs comes to watch dad, too.
"He's 18 months and a little tornado, but he helps me separate my life from golf," Dahmen explained.
Dahmen sat down with KARE's Morgan Wolfe after he surprised fans by jumping behind the Bushmills Irish Whiskey Bar.
"I do not do this a lot. I am usually on the other (customer) side," Dahmen joked.
When asked about the newfound fame he received from Full Swing, Dahmen explained how he struggled to find a balance.
"It was different. There is an adjustment period. I also had my kid, which has been a big adjustment," Dahmen said.
After the show's first season, Dahmen dropped in player rankings and hasn't rebounded to his former spot. His struggles on the course were part of his storyline in Season 2 of Full Swing.
"Even though my results aren't always what I want them to be, I'd say I am in a much better place than when Full Swing 2 came out. Golf is hard, it will beat you up pretty good, so I stopped beating myself up and those around me," Dahmen reflected.
After serving customers a few drinks and posing for a few fan selfies, he finished taking selfies, Dahmen said he couldn't wait to get back to see his son.
"When you are outside playing golf and people are rooting you on, life is not that bad," Dahmen said.