Mark’s Kaddy Korner

In the late 80’s dirt roads surrounded the small party at TPC. Back then you could hear the coyotes yipping and roadrunners skittered across the fairways. The wildlife has changed, the golf has almost become secondary to the party, and the attendance rose drastically. The tournament the Thunderbirds reluctantly took over in 1939 under Bob Goldwater’s tutelage now claims bragging rights as the PGA Tour’s largest party and has contributed $65,000,000 to local charities.

(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?

Hey all,

The crew is cruising the West Coast without me but I’ve been trying to keep in touch with a few of my buddies. Without El Tigre the tour has had to create some more excitement and they aren’t doing it on the course.

Coming down the stretch the last three weeks with a chance to win the tournament three non-winners Bubba Watson, Tim Clark, and Michael Sim all chose to lay up on par fives essentially playing for second and the money, not the win. Phil or Tiger wouldn’t have given a thought to the lay up area. Thanks for some boring golf and yesterday’s winner Ben Crane didn’t even know he won the tournament, his caddy had to tell him. Don’t know about you guys but I love that spontaneous celebration when the putt drops.

Our Buddy Steve

San Diego may be a top tourist destination with Torrey Pines perched high on the public course list but it’s not a favorite stop for caddies. Over the years it’s been a tough walk in sloppy conditions and the temperature can be 40 degrees with howling winds along the South course coast while sunny and warm on the North course. It’s a tough place to pull a club and find a sprinkler head, they never bothered putting numbers on the heads and the circling winds, heavy air, and subtle elevation changes leave many Titleists great distances from the target.

A Round of Golf with Brett Favre

Boers and Bernstein, or as my college educated daughter calls them “Boring and Beefcakes”, were bad mouthing Brett Favre earlier this week. Listening for ten or fifteen minutes because that’s all I can handle, I realized their opinion was probably based on media hype, anti-Packer/Viking  sentiment, a tinge of jealousy, and the jaded view from their soapbox because they never step down among us. Their opinion is all that matters, they love to hear themselves talk.

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.

My Hero-Wish he was Around Today

A Fan’s Lament – The Fleecing of Sports Fans

Growing up in central Illinois I was a diehard Cubs fan, the Bears and Bulls were my favorites but I didn’t live and die with them. My first game was a 1969 Wrigley Field Cub-Cardinal doubleheader, Billy Williams Day, helping my hero celebrate his continuous game streak and watching him hit for the cycle in four straight at-bats. Whatever sport was in season my instincts followed but my heart was always with the Cubs and baseball. I couldn’t wait for my Sporting News subscription every Saturday morning; it was all about baseball back then.

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.

Former PGA Tour caddie Greg Rita and his family were robbed in a home invasion on New Year’s Eve in Jacksonville, Fla., firstcoastnews.com reported Tuesday.

According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office report, three men broke into the Rita home through an open garage door about 6 a.m. Police said Rita’s wife awoke to the men “standing at the foot of her bed.” One of the suspects hit her in the head with the butt of a gun.

According to the report, Rita’s wife was taken into the living room while Rita was left in the bedroom. The couple’s 4-year-old son remained asleep in his room.

Changes in the Caddie World

The boys are out in Hawaii playing golf and I’m back here scraping windows, picking dog poop out of the snow, and adjusting the thermostat on a regular basis. It doesn’t seem right but that’s the nature of the business at the moment. After talking with a bunch of my caddy buddies last week, it seems like there are a lot of folks in the same boat. According to a couple of informal surveys conducted last year on the Champions Tour almost half the players were using friends or family members, MCI caddies we call them. In fact, I just got a call from Peter Jacobsen last night confirming he had a buddy working for him in Florida.