Ex-NHL Goalie Dunham Earns Shot At Another National Title

2002 Olympic Silver Medalist, '93 NCAA Champion Headed To Bandon Dunes For U.S. Mid-Amateur

September 14, 2007

By David Shefter, USGA

Far Hills, N.J. - Mike Dunham approached the par-4 17th hole at The Georgetown (Mass.) Club on Sept. 6 like he had the previous 16: focused on his next shot.

Years of experience being an elite goaltender at the highest levels of his sport had trained the recently retired NHL player from Concord, Mass., not to dwell on past mistakes.

And Dunham had every reason to be down on himself. Playing for one of four available spots at this U.S. Mid-Amateur sectional qualifier, Dunham had just bogeyed 15 and 16, the latter by three-putting, to get back to even par for the day. Most golfers would have mentally resigned themselves to let a good round slip away.

Mike Dunham, during his New York Rangers days, has turned his attention away from stopping pucks to focusing on golf, a non-contact sport. (Courtesy Newark Star-Ledger)

But the 35-year-old Dunham, who spent 10 years in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Atlanta Thrashers, Nashville Predators and most recently the New York Islanders, had dealt with this kind of adversity many times on the ice.

He's been in this position before. The best netminders can shake off a puck that gets behind them. They simply move on to the next play.

"If you make a mistake, 18,000 people know about it," he said. "After awhile, you get used to being booed or cheered. On the golf course . it's so quiet out there. It makes it easier to concentrate. A lot easier."

Dunham didn't start the day with the high expectations of qualifying for this premier championship. It was only when he was two under through 14 holes that his mind began to wander about the possibility of making the 269-player field. That's when he bogeyed the two consecutive holes.

Refocused at 16, he calmly laced a perfect drive on the 450-yard hole, knocked a 5-iron to 10 feet and holed the right-to-left breaking putt for his fourth birdie of the day. A par on 18 gave him a 1-under 71 and the third of four qualifying spots for the 2007 U.S. Mid-Amateur, which will be played Sept. 29-Oct. 4 at Bandon Dunes Resort in Bandon, Ore.

For Dunham, it will be his first trip to a USGA championship. It's a special achievement considering he grew up around golf. His father, Ron, has been a PGA club professional since 1976 and currently is the head golf pro at Teton Pines Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyo.

"Just the chance to participate in a USGA event is really special," said Dunham. "[Golf] is so front and center in our life besides hockey. Golf is what I've grown up with and been around."

Three years ago, Dunham was an alternate for the Mid-Amateur at Sea Island and last year he missed qualifying by a couple of shots. He's also tried several times to qualify for the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.

But he certainly isn't the first ex-athlete in another sport to make the field. Former major leaguer baseball players Erik Hanson and Chris Sabo have qualified for the Mid-Amateur, as did Joe Hillman, a guard on the 1987 IndianaUniversity national championship men's basketball team.

Dunham is no stranger to competing for national titles. In his senior year of college, he helped the University of Mainewin the 1993 Division I NCAA Championship. And in 2002, he was on the silver-medal winning USA team at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He also played on the 1992 and '94 USA Olympic teams that failed to medal, although the '92 squad took fourth in Albertville, France. He's also been through the mental grind known as the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Qualifying for a USGA championship brought about an entirely different kind of anxiety. After shooting his 71, Dunham was forced to wait two hours for the rest of the field to finish. To ease the nerves, he spent time on the putting green, periodically sauntering over to the scoring table to check on the incoming scores. With the winds picking up a bit in the afternoon, nobody else managed to beat the 71. Six golfers who shot 73 went to a playoff for the final spot. Rob Carpentier of North Andover, Mass., advanced.

"That is very nerve-racking, watching the scoreboard," said Dunham. "It's just something I am not used to doing. In hockey, you go out and play the game . and you have a result right away. Here you play the course and then it's how did the other guys play."

A few weeks ago, Dunham decided he had endured enough between the pipes. Ten years in the NHL had taken a physical toll and it was time to move on. Islanders coach Ted Nolan offered him a chance to be their goalie coach and he readily accepted. It's a different role, one he is quickly adjusting into, from studying film to organizing practice drills, to breaking down any flaws in fundamentals.

Prior to flying to Bandon Dunes, Dunham was to spend a week in Nova Scotia at the team's training camp, but with practice over by 1 p.m. , he could sneak out to the course to work on his golf game. And when the club returns to Long Island, he knows enough people to gain him access to some of the better clubs. Because the team has an exhibition game on Sept. 26, he won't be able to get on site until late on Sept. 27, leaving him just one day to get in a practice round on what is one of the more challenging layouts in the U.S.

Physically and mentally, Dunham should be ready to go. A day after qualifying for the Mid-Amateur he shot a 65 in a member-guest in Massachusetts.

"I know how to calm myself down and stay in the moment, and focus on little things to keep those outside thoughts from coming in," said Dunham. "I do that in golf now."

The hard part will be meeting the demands of Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails, the second stroke-play course. The winds have been known to howl on the southwestern Oregon coastline and Dunham understands the challenge that lies in front of him. But he plans to enjoy this experience with his dad, who will serve as his caddie. Ron Dunham has tried to qualify for many USGA championships, including the 2005 U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open, but never achieved the feat.

"I've got bragging rights on that one," said Dunham. "No matter what [I shoot], I am going to enjoy it. To get there, to play in a USGA event, is a honor for me because I come from a golfing family and know how important it is and I have great respect for the USGA and the PGA of America.

"I don't have any expectations. There's nothing like being at the top level and playing for a national championship. I'm just going to enjoy myself and the surroundings and soak it all in."

David Shefter is a USGA staff writer. E-mail him with questions or comments at dshefter@usga.org.