Cancer battle forces Dahmen to step up

NORTON, MASS.» Joel Dahmen has reason to pause every so often to consider how far he’s come.

His favorite moment included Tiger Woods.

They were playing together in the third round of the Quicken Loans National. Woods was on a roll, and when he made his fourth straight birdie, the cheers were so loud that Dahmen looked over at his caddie, Geno Bonnalie, and couldn’t stop smiling.

“We looked at each other and it was like, ‘Can you believe what we’re doing?’ ” Dahmen said. “Two bimbos from Lewiston and Clarkston out here playing with Tiger Woods and we’re competing. It was the coolest thing ever on a golf course. It felt like a culmination of everything.”

Fast forward two months and the 30-year-old Dahmen can be found this week at the TPC Boston for the second stop in the FedEx Cup playoffs. He is No. 76 in the standings, and the top 70 advance to the third event with the lofty goal of being among the top 30 who make it to the Tour Championship.

This is what seemed so unimaginable after Dahmen's life took so many unexpected turns.

His mother died of cancer when he was a junior in high school. His brother was diagnosed with testicular cancer. And then right when Dahmen was starting to get back on track, he was diagnosed with cancer. He had surgery in 2011 to remove a testicle, and chemotherapy followed.

And then there was the maddening sport of golf that nearly drove Dahmen to quit.

Facing an ultimatum from his girlfriend — either get a job or go practice — he borrowed $200 from her for a golf lesson, the first step in taking himself seriously.

“If I didn't have cancer, I'd be a washed-up driving range pro telling people how good I used to be,” he said. “I would be in my little town as an assistant pro. Everyone would love me. I’d do well in (PGA) section stuff and I’d drink too much. I’d be a woulda-coulda-shoulda guy.”