Golfer Joel Dahmen and Wife Lona Skutt’s Relationship Timeline: From Beating Cancer to Being Married With 1 Child

usmagazine.com:

His No. 1 fan! Joel Dahmen’s wife, Lona Skutt, was by his side when he decided to shock his golfing career back to life in 2014 — and she’s never stopped rooting for him.The pair met in 2012, one year after Dahmen overcame testicular cancer.

The twosome’s meet-cute included a long line at a pizza place in Arizona followed by a BBQ group date.“While being squished into a small space together waiting Joel struck up conversation and said he would buy Lona a slice if she got up the line faster than him,” the couple wrote on their Knot wedding website of their origin story. “Probably the best pickup line for Lona because she loves food and would take that challenge any day!”Before getting to the front of the line, Skutt “boldly suggested” that the athlete take her number even though she was planning to move to New York City in four months.“While Lona thought she would never hear from Joel again he ended up asking her out a week later.

After meeting for a happy hour and going to a friend’s BBQ (Which could have possibly been a test to see how well Lona could hang with all Joel’s friends) we have been together ever since!” the pair wrote. “As they say, the rest is history!”Shortly after connecting, Skutt played a role in getting Dahmen back into the golf game after a disappointing winter 2013-2014 season.

The University of Washington alum was given a push from his then-girlfriend to get back on the course in summer 2014 after choosing to not play the game for “about a month and a half” and instead staying at home.“My now-wife gave me $200 to go get a lesson and it kind of kick-started my 2014 [winning streak] and now the rest of my career,” Dahmen recalled to Golf.com in May 2019.He previously told the Seattle Times in August