Mark’s Kaddy Korner

Gulf Coast Resort Classic, Biloxi, MS

Whirlwinds are normal traveling on tour but last week was borderline tornadic. After landing in Milwaukee Saturday evening, having dinner and drinks with Cassie and watching UCONN advance to the Final Four we had time for laundry, repacking and washing the car before heading for Biloxi, MS early Monday morning. The uneventful fifteen hour drive stirred memories while passing by the blooming clover fields and blossoming cottonwoods along I-55.

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Playing Carnoustie and Links Golf in Scotland

It’s all about golf, surviving the weather, pints, whiskey, deciphering the brogue, making sure you stay on the left side of the road and enjoying the people when you’re in Scotland. Except for the whiskey I did fairly well at the rest. After flying into Glasgow Monday morning it was a two hour drive across central Scotland arriving in Carnoustie mid afternoon in time to catch my boss, Bob Gilder finishing up his practice round with a local caddie, perfect timing.

Royal Birkdale Ladies British Open

After finishing three, three, three, and missing a ten footer for three on the eighteenth hole of the toughest finishing holes in the British Open Rota it was off to Royal Birkdale in Southport, England. The old Victorian seaside resort was about a six hour relaxing countryside drive from Carnoustie. I caught the tournament office closing down and they helped with accommodations for the night. In England it’s either a high priced hotel or a comfortable rather cheap B&B. The first night was a hotel and the rest of the week I bounced around the B&B’s for 25 to 40 pounds per night, including breakfast and lukewarm water in the shower.

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.

Dec. 22, 2009

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Frank Williams, the caddie for British Open champion Stewart Cink, went from celebrating a major victory to stewing about it — at least until he realized he was the victim of a prank within the caddie ranks.

For whatever reason, Williams has never liked going to the British Open, and he was going to try to sit this one out. Before getting Cink’s permission, he checked on the availability of longtime looper Dave Musgrove, who told Williams he didn’t have work for the week but would be at Turnberry to watch and could fill in if necessary.