SB Nation’s memorable stories from Playing Through’s inaugural 2023 season

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images

The 2023 golf season brought about a lot of tension, but these feel-good stories will make you feel just the opposite.

The Playing Through crew had some unique opportunities to meet a wide range of people in 2023, its inaugural year.

Golf is an amazing sport because it extends far beyond the professional level. It affects millions around the globe, while also doing plenty of good for the less fortunate. But many people who play the sport know how to have fun, too, which is another reason why golf is the best.

As such, here are our team’s favorite stories from this past season:

5. Joel Dahmen unveils new drink, taking after Arnold Palmer and John Daly

Bushmills Whiskey

In July, Playing Through had the opportunity to meet Joel Dahmen in Arizona, where he and Bushmills Whiskey unveiled his new cocktail, aptly named ‘Joel’s Juicy Lie.’

The drink sounds delicious. It is served with Bushmills 10-year-old single malt whiskey, grapefruit soda, and a pineapple twist. To garnish it off, there is a mini bucket hat, an iconic staple of Dahmen’s wardrobe.

Dahmen, of course, has seen his popularity skyrocket over the past couple of years thanks to his appearances on Netflix’s Full Swing. His fun demeanor is infectious.

“I think it’s a balance,” Dahmen said about having fun on and off the golf course.

“Everyone has to have [fun] no matter what you’re doing. My balance can lean too heavy one way at times… It’s always something that I’m trying to figure out. My wife’s a great help. Geno [my caddy is] a great help… It’s something that’s a constant battle, but it’s a fun battle to play.”

Dahmen also held the 36-hole co-lead with Collin Morikawa at the 2022 U.S. Open. His bucket hat was a popular topic of discussion that week at Brookline.

The word cancer sits on the front brim of his signature hat, with a red line striking through it. Dahmen was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2011. He uses his platform to spread awareness about the horrible disease that impacts us all.

4. Bridgestone, PGA Tour partner to empower HBCU athletes

PGA Tour

In November, the PGA Tour staged its inaugural HBCU Bridgestone Invitational at TPC Sugarloaf outside of Atlanta. The tournament featured 15 teams from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs): 10 men’s teams and five women’s teams.

Arkansas Pine-Bluff emerged victorious on the men’s side, while Alabama State took home the trophy on the women’s side.

Though wins are meaningful, this tournament was much more about golf, as Florida A&M Coach Mike Rice alluded to in an interview with Playing Through.

“The golf course was in great shape, the competition was good, but I think the best part was having [business] leaders share their story of how they have gotten to where they are in their careers, and sharing that with the student-athletes was huge,” Rice said.

As part of the tournament, leaders from Fortune 500 companies, the PGA Tour, and Bridgestone gathered with the student-athletes to offer career advice, establish relationships, and discuss their futures.

“A lot more goes into this than just hitting the ball,” said Kenyatta Ramsey, the Vice President of Player Development for the PGA Tour.

“We’re trying to build a holistic program that’s helping these guys not only on the course but off the course. We are helping them with finances, mental health, scheduling for your tournaments, etc.”

3. Max Homa, Friends of Golf collaborate to raise money for student-athletes

Playing Through

In October, Friends of Golf invited members of the Playing Through team to Bel-Air Country Club, which hosted its annual charity tournament.

Friends of Golf, or FOG as it is known, is a non-profit organization that supports student-athlete golfers of nearly all ages. From grade school all through college, golfers have been instilled with the values of ethics, honesty, and fellowship through the program.

Initially founded in 1979 by Eddie Merrins, nicknamed “The Lil Pro,” FOG has donated over $10 million to high schools, colleges, and non-profit organizations helping grow the sport.

Over the years, Friends of Golf has honored prestigious names like Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, Annika Sorenstam, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Lorena Ochoa, and Collin Morikawa.

This year, FOG honored PGA Tour fan-favorite Max Homa and LPGA Tour legend Juli Inkster. These two were also on hand to interact with the players. They even provided everyone with lessons, which included tips on how to hit a nice buttery fade or draw.

But these two showed up to Bel-Air for much more important reasons. They were there to raise money for student-athletes and did so very effectively.

The organization raised well over six figures to help the game grow, and Playing Through was proud to be there to see these deeds of charity in action.

2. Shriners Children’s Hospital is unlike any other PGA Tour event

Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
Lexi Thompson meets young fans at the 2023 Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The Shriners Children’s Open is one of the best golf tournaments of the year. Not because it is played at a major championship venue, or because it is a marquee Signature Event.

Instead, this event puts children first, giving them an opportunity to meet players and fans.

So this past October, for the 17th consecutive year, the PGA Tour partnered with Shriners Hospitals to stage a tournament that raises capital and brings awareness to pediatric injuries, orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and more.

“What makes it really special is that it gives us a platform to tell our story to a new and diverse audience each year,” said Mel Bower, the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer for Shriners Hospitals, in an exclusive interview with Playing Through.

Twenty-three Shriners patients officially served as ambassadors at the 2023 tournament, giving players and fans a better understanding of what the hospital network does.

“Shriners is one of the biggest reasons why I’m Juan Diego today,” Juan Diego, one of the ambassadors for Shriners, said to Playing Through.

“I’m an independent young man who can carry out a life on a normal basis, you know, with college, personal life, and that kind of stuff. [Shriners] is the reason why I’m here today.”

Juan Diego’s story is that of both tragedy and triumph, but he is a shining example of why this golf tournament is so important every year.

1. 9/11 Justice puts heat on Saudi PIF in U.S. Congress amid PGA Tour, LIV Golf deal

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
PGA Tour Chief Operating Officer Ron Price and PGA Tour Policy Board member Jimmy Dunne testify before a Senate Subcommittee on Investigations on Jul. 11, 2023.

Years from now, when we look back to 2023 and think about the golf that transpired during this past year, the battle between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will likely come to mind.

The two circuits have divided golf over the past few years. And yet, the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF)—LIV’s beneficiary—and the PGA Tour struck a framework agreement on Jun. 6, 2023.

That raised eyebrows in Washington, D.C., as a sovereign wealth fund had never before partnered with an American sports institution like the PGA Tour. Thus, the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI)—chaired by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), held a hearing to discuss this deal on Jul. 11, 2023.

Thus, two members of the PGA Tour brass, Ron Price and Jimmy Dunne, testified before members of the U.S. Senate.

But also on hand were family members who lost loved ones on Sept. 11, 2001. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers on that terrible day were Saudi citizens.

One of the members on hand was Brett Eagleson, a resident of Middletown, Connecticut, and the President of 9/11 Justice.

“For our purposes, for the 9/11 community purposes, I think the hearing went well,” Eagleson said in an exclusive interview with Playing Through.

“We were mentioned numerous times by different senators, with the 9/11 issue being brought up by both sides of the aisle.”

Evidence points to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia lending a helping hand to the terrorists who carried out these attacks.

“I want to see the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, once and for all, take accountability and responsibility for what they did,” Eagleson admitted.

“They created the conditions 22 years ago that led to the success of the hijackers. The Kingdom fought back against that narrative, tooth and nail, despite the mounting evidence, despite all the pressure, despite our genuine issues, they deny us, and they won’t accept.”

Speaking with Eagleson changed our perspective on the 9/11 issue concerning the Saudi Kingdom’s involvement in golf. And as our top story of the year, we hope you will also gain a different outlook on it. You can read the full story here.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.