Mark’s Kaddy Korner

If you are going to be an also ran, not in the top 64 in the world golf rankings, the Riviera Maya-Cancun area is a magnificent place to spend some time with your underachieving buddies. I’m not sure of the numbers but these nobodies playing at El Camaleon, the 14^th toughest track on tour, are pretty impressive. There are at least 4-5 Major winners – Lehman, Toms, Daly, Jansen – a bunch of Ryder Cuppers, a couple of U.S. Amateur champs at least – Mayfair and Verplank – a TPC winner, Fred Funk and a Tour Championship winner or two.

You don’t get calls very often to work for legends. My buddy Todd called the week before the Senior PGA and asked if I’d like to work for Tom Watson. Neil Oxman, Ox, Tom’s odd year caddy had some health issues and couldn’t make it so Tom needed a caddy for the week. It wasn’t a done deal; Tom asked for a few names and said he would make the call. My name was in the hat; I waited impatiently for a few days then got the call.

The night life always took its toll on a few caddies. Next to Las Vegas there were more whiffed tee times at Lakewood CC, English Turn, and now the TPC of Louisiana than any other tour stop. Luckily I had friends to stay with so I didn’t get mixed up in the debauchery, well maybe a little. It was one of the few stops guys wanted to miss the cut, the Flor-A-Bama was a couple hours away, it was always calling a wayward caddy. The little bar on the Florida-Alabama border below Pensacola has trapped many a caddy during their I-10 (caddy highway) travels.

The Masters Ticket

There may not be a more revered ticket in sports. I take that back; there is not a more revered ticket in all of sports. They are passed on through wills, bickered over during divorce proceedings, and the prized possession of any scalper working the Washington Road sidewalk.  

This announcement comes directly from the official Masters web site:                  

Tournament or “Series” Badges (Thursday through Sunday) have been sold to those on our patron list which was closed due to demand in 1972. A waiting list began in 1972, and was closed in 1978. It reopened in 2000, and it too is now closed. No applications for “Series” Badges are currently being accepted.