Mark’s Kaddy Korner

(Just after I published this article rumors from Australia surfaced Tiger would play Accenture Match Play in Tucson, and it was also reported on local Phoenix news stations. We’ll see what happens, I’m still sticking to my guns)

Tiger is tucked away in Hattiesburg, MS trying to get his shaft under control. Over the years we’ve watched him trying to control many wayward drives. The flex in your driver shaft often determines how well you control your tee shots. Tiger’s recent flex point control issue has more serious implications on his life, children, and marriage. Who knew two months ago we would be waiting his return while he regained flex point control at Pine Grove Institute instead of a golf testing center in Carlsbad, CA?

He's Even Skinnier Now

John Daly is back: Lean & Mean Outside, Big Heart Inside

They wouldn’t let him in the Hawaiian Open pro-am party Tuesday night because nobody recognized him. He’s lost over a hundred pounds and rededicated himself, hopefully John sticks to it. He’s on his last leg, and at 44 years old his competitive years are not many. Watching the Hawaiian Open’s first two rounds made me realize what a draw JD is.

This article was just published in Australian Golf Digest as Show up, Shut up, and Keep up - A Veteran Caddy’s take on Tour Life. The article definitely looks better in the magazine, they added some great pictures and made my writing look good. 

Aussie Players and Caddies on the PGA Tour

In 1988, my first year on the PGA Tour, there was a handful of Australian golfers on the tour. Norman was dominating, “Elkie” was an up and comer, Wayne Grady was steady, Ian Baker-Finch could find fairways back then, and David Graham showed up occasionally. They were all great players, Greg had Steve Williams on the bag, the rest of the crew used American loopers.

A Different Christmas Poem

 
 
 
Hey everyone,
 
I hope this finds you enjoying the holidays with family and friends. I’m getting off the tour and going back to work with juvenile delinquents. Life on the road has been great but it’s time to get grounded.
 
Recently, I bumped into an old friend, Moe Ross. After getting reacquainted, reminiscing, and laughing about mutual friends she explained her passion. Moe is a therapist by profession but writing is her love. Her company www.Miographies.com creates personal biographies for people who want to pass on their memoirs to family and friends. Actually, it’s more than just a memoir. Moe helps a person delineate their core values and choose the essential stories that reflect who a person
really is and how they got to where they are in their lives. It is her belief that many of our basic values are disappearing and by sharing our stories for future generations we offer a legacy worth far more than material assets.
 
 
In a nutshell, the Miography is created through a two to three day audio-recorded personal interview with Moe in a location of your choice. Prior to the interview some clients elect for Moe to contact children, grandchildren and relatives to submit questions that they want Moe to ask their parent to preserve the family stories. She and her staff of professional editors weave together a life story in a remarkable way— it is a full-bodied memoir blending together the sustaining themes of a life with the actions and events that define them. Once the story is written, it is beautifully bound and is a unique combination of traditional oral history and a comtemporary personality profile. One of the books I saw started out with… “My dear children, you are going to inherit a lot of money and I want you to know how it was made!” The artistry in the binding and printing of these books is very first-class.
 
 Moe has written over ninety Miographies for a variety of CEO’s, Pine Valley’s administrator, corporate innovators and inventors, and influential individuals who want their thoughts and life experiences passed on to future generations. Because we never know when we will leave this earth, some younger people have commissioned a Miography with the theme.. “My Life Up to Now”…. and plan to add on volumes after each decade. Alot can happen in ten years!
 
The Miography is a treasure I thought you or some of your friends would be interested in. Your, or friend’s, amazing stories would be intriguing, inspiring, and would make wonderful gifts for family, friends, business associates, and future generations. It’s a keepsake that can be passed on forever. Can you imagine Tom Randall’s Miography?
 
Please check out the web site www.Miographies.com for more information then give me or Moe a call to discuss the possibilities. It’s an exciting concept that will capture your life for everyone special to you. It’s so clear that Miographies is not an “ego” trip. In many ways it is like an ethical will. It’s remarkable, trust me.
 
Take care.
 

Hey all,

The caddies and players spent last week at the finest stop on tour, bar none. Since 2003 Kym Houghman and his staff have provided unique perks for everyone, and if another tournament comes up with something new, Kym tries to go one step further. There is valet parking for everyone, a lounge just outside the clubhouse doors for the caddies - we hate to leave the comforts - and a gift bag from the tournament. Kym even provides a courtesy car for the defending champion caddy. “Bucky”, Joey Sindelar’s caddy, had to get a license the year after they won so he could enjoy the pleasures. Seems he had lost his over the years for whatever reason.