Mark’s Kaddy Korner

First Tee Open – Champions Tour – Pebble Beach, CA

I really wasn’t sure I was going to Pebble until the last minute. In fact, I booked my flight late Sunday evening and flew into San Jose Monday afternoon. Luckily, I have some good friends, Jim and Lolita, in Santa Clara who understand the last minute arrangements caddies sometimes have to make. They picked me up at the airport, loaned me their car for a few days, and put me up for the week.

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My brother Dan, caddying for Tamie Durdin this week, moaned about the greens, rough and weather. The long hitter “Durds” was struggling in the practice rounds but fired a two opener and made the cut tied for 36th. “There’s no reason for the standard bearers to carry any red numbers after the first day” he said. “Absolutely the toughest U.S. Open track he’s ever been on in his 25+ caddy years, someone could hurt themselves out here,” he sighed.

The Regions Charity Classic played at Ross Bridge Resort and Spa used to be the Bruno’s Memorial Classic at Greystone Country Club and back then it was the strongest field with the largest galleries on the Champions Tour. These days the field is weak, the fans gather around the four or five holes surrounding the resort hotel and rarely venture out on the course, and there isn’t the buzz around Birmingham like there used to be. There were a lot of “remember when” stories about Greystone floating around the practice tee; everyone would love to go back.

Transitions Championship – Innisbrook – Tarpon Springs, FL           

The Transitions Championship (a few other sponsors also) has been coming to Innisbrook since 2000 and prior to that the Mixed Team PGA/LPGA was held here in the late 80’s and early 90’s. It was a lot of fun back then, still challenging, but it was the off season and a chance to make a little Christmas money. Now the course has been redesigned (1999), lengthened, and toughened up enough that a major could be staged here.

The CA Championship has only been coming to Doral since 2007; my first trip here was 1988. Back then the Blue Monster was probably one of the toughest courses on tour, now it ranks eighth easiest among the par 72 tracks on tour. If the wind doesn’t blow the top players in the world eat this course alive.

In the late 90’s the Doral Resort and Spa owners brought in Ray Floyd to toughen up the layout and put some teeth in the Blue Monster. He followed their orders, added some bunkers, tee boxes, and created some doglegs to challenge the tour players. After some sniveling and whining the course was softened again and Raymond took some unnecessary criticism for ruining the Blue Monster. He was only following orders and the pampered PGA Tour players couldn’t handle the challenge.

Over the years a few unknown golfers have left their mark on the Champions Tour. Some have come from overseas; Stewart Ginn and Simon Hobday won a couple of Senior majors while they were in the states. Quite a few PGA club pros did some damage and created some excitement after they qualified for the tour. Jim Albus, Lairy Laroetti, and Tom Wargo all won their share of tournaments and appealed to the underdog rooters. Recently Lonnie Nielson has picked up the slack for the aging club pros.

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.

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.

Hey all,

There was no news last week from the fairways only the driveways locked inside an exclusive development in Windemere, FL. KK thinks that is where the news should stay. I thought about contacting Stevie, Tiger’s caddy, and find out the story but it is really none of my business. It’s a personal matter, nobody was seriously hurt, and Tiger’s mishap didn’t affect anyone but himself. Let’s just leave him alone.