A Game of Connection

In the final round of the New Hampshire Open in the southwestern part of the Granite State, Tyler Stachkunas hit a towering cut down the middle of the first fairway. Stachkunas and I had shot the same scores for the first two rounds of the tournament (four-under through 36 holes), and were paired together on the final day. We hit our drives close together on the opening hole and started talking.

The 22-year-old caddies at the renowned Seminole Golf Club in South Florida to fund his golf career. Stachkunas would stand out in a caddie yard and he certainly stands out in a pro golf tournament: he has a tattoo sleeve on his arm and leg with mystic warrior themes, matching members of his family. His leg sleeve is illustrated around a Japanese god and his right arm sleeve is inked around a samurai. “To protect me while I’m out there in my head playing golf,” says Stachkunas.

In the Seminole Pro-Member tournament – an event filled with the who’s who of the business and professional golf worlds – Stachkunas was assigned to Joel Dahmen’s bag. The group included an executive at BetMGM and PGA Tour winner, Keith Mitchell. Stachkunas mentioned to Dahmen he was starting his pro golf career early in the round and asked how could get to Dahmen’s level. How do you do what you do? A simple question that too many are afraid to ask.

In South Florida, it can seem like everyone working at a golf club is a pro golfer in the same way that most people waiting tables or working behind bars around Hollywood are actors. Stachkunas plays on the Minor League Golf Tour, a competitive local tour that hosts one and two-day events in South Florida. Stachkunas won multiple events on the MLGT last year, including at Atlantic National Golf Club, where he shot an 11-under 60.

Dahmen was Dahmen at Seminole: relaxed and enjoying the day. He could have given a simple answer to Stachkunas that would have sufficed; he could have said the road was long and expensive, requiring dedication and perseverance. A little elaboration from there would have been a completely adequate response. There are a thousand ways Dahmen could have answered. But Dahmen started talking and has spent months answering the question for Stachkunas.  

Dahmen talked about his own journey to the tour. He mentioned that every player has to find their own path. He talked about important drills and short game routines that helped him improve. Importantly, there were tournaments that Dahmen advised Stachkunas to play. Ultimately, being ready to succeed on tour meant getting better in the crucible of competition.

Among the mini tour tournaments Dahmen mentioned was the Desert Financial Open at Talking Stick Golf Course in Scottsdale, an event with a reasonable entry fee and a $20,000 first place check, played on a challenging golf course in May, when the conditions are firm and fast in the desert. In mini tour golf, money goes fast and expenses are top of mind. Stachkunas mentioned the high cost of travel and accommodations in Scottsdale.

In the developmental golf tour ranks, players often travel together to reduce costs and maintain camaraderie on the road. It took Dahmen seven years to earn his PGA Tour card. He hasn’t forgotten how important it was to split a rental car or a hotel room during the four years of playing on the Canadian Tour. A hundred saved here and a hundred saved there across a season can pay the entry fee that helps you break through. 

Dahmen mentioned to Stachkunas that he owned an Airbnb in Scottsdale and he’d keep it open for the week of the tournament. Stachkunas could stay there…for free. He could also practice at Dahmen’s course to help prepare for the event. Dahmen made the gesture with the ease of buying a close friend a drink, or holding a door for a family member. How cool is that?

Dahmen had a couple drinks during the round. Mitchell spent a few minutes helping Stachkunas with his chipping. The group was having a good time. Despite being on caddie duty in a tournament, Stachkunas was treated like a friend. “I think he (Dahmen) shot like seven-under and he was just out there having fun,” says Stachkunas. 

After the round, Dahmen exchanged numbers with Stachkunas. They texted each other every day for a week following the Pro-Member leading up to the PGA Tour’s most prestigious tournament, The Players Championship. Stachkunas mentioned he and his buddies wanted to watch Dahmen at The Players and like that, he had tickets.

At TPC Sawgrass during one of the practice rounds, Dahmen pulled Stachkunas inside the ropes and the two walked the fairways together. A few days later, the front nine on Friday was Dahmen’s closing side, and he was one shot outside the cut. Dahmen pulled a tee shot into the rough close to the rope line, where Stachkunas and his friends were watching. “He was chatting with us, like, ‘what did you guys eat last night? What did you do?’” says Stachkunas. “We were having a full conversation as he was trying to make the cut at ‘The Fifth Major.’ He goes birdie, birdie, par, birdie to finish to get to the weekend.”

Dahmen shot 66 in that second round to make the cut. Importantly, he showed Stachkunas how to stay cool in the heat of competition. Dahmen and his caddie, Geno Bonnalie, stuck around after to talk with Stachkunas and his friends after the round.

“He’s one of the boys. He’s a friend. It’s not like, ‘oh my god, there’s Joel Dahmen!’

Stachkunas advanced through his local U.S. Open qualifier the following month and decided to stay in South Florida to prepare for sectional qualifying rather than travel to Scottsdale for the DFO. He shot one-under in U.S. Open qualifying over two rounds, missing a playoff by nine strokes. 

“He still asks me how I’m doing. I text him when I’m going to play Monday qualifiers for tour events. He’s a person I want to be like and he’s helping me try to be where that is. It’s cool to see him try to help the younger generation.”

Stachkunas closed the New Hampshire Open last weekend with a three-under 69 to tie for 8th. He hopes to play in the tournaments Dahmen suggested, including the Arizona Open in July, where he’d have a free place to stay.