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Caddies take center stage at US Open at Winged Foot

Sunday June 18, 2006 | 21:50:05 286 words, 4070 views
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The way I see it, Miles Byrne (Ian Woosnam and the 15th club) and Christopher (Jean Van de Velde and the driver on 18 at Carnoustie) have company in the caddie hall of shame. They can now hold chairs for Monty’s looper and Bones MacKay, who could have should have would have, but didn’t, say something meaningful at the proper time.

There he was, ready to claim the major title that had long eluded him. Long birdie putt on 17, fairway-splitting drive on 18, and Monty had a little shot into the green. After waiting with the proper club in his hand, he changed his mind, switched irons, decelerated, and hit the shot fat and right, into the gunga. One pitch and three putts later, he had fallen to fourth. And his caddie? Silent.

No more than 30 minutes later, Phil came to the 18th tee with a one stroke lead over Geoff “Paul Lawrie Ben Curtis” Ogilvy. Ignoring the wayward tee balls he had launched on 16 and 17, Phil reached for one of his two drivers and bombed yet another one into the uncharted. Five poorly played shots later (and one fried egg bad break), his Slam and Open are gone. All that is left for Phil is the NY Tribeca Trifecta…2nd place at three different metro NYC venues. And Bones? Them bones didn’t rattle a sound.

Yes, elite athletes are arrogant owing to their excellence. Monty showed his humanity by simply messing up. Phil showed his elite status by never doubting that the next one would have found the fairway. I have not doubt that, had he reached a playoff with Ogilvy, his strategy would not have changed.

Still, you wonder at what point the caddies speak up.


Comments:

Comment from: Mike [Visitor] · http://www.travellinggolfer.com
Looked to me like Ogilvy's caddie made him hit a layup shot on a hole that he parred on Saturday and was chastised by Jeff for speaking up.

Bones has always seemed like a 'yes man' to me, but I could be wrong.

Phil even asked him about a 9 iron from 175 at one time. C'mon Phil get freakin' real, 9 iron is never the right club from 175. Never.

The old Phil overtook the new 'play for par' Phil and it bit his butt.

As for Monty's misclub, well he had the right one and put it back to avoid hitting the tents behind the green. Bad choice and he now knows it better than me.

Caddies want to keep their job and golfers on the PGA Tour seem to have a code that would rival the Mafia or NY Cops for blackballing a caddie who tells them, " That's a stupid shot, don't even think you can pull that off you idiot ! "
Permalink 06/18/06 @ 22:28
Comment from: patrick [Visitor] · http://www.onedayoneshot.com
Caddies knows many things, except one, the quantity of adrenaline in the blood of the player.
Permalink 06/19/06 @ 04:18
Comment from: Lesliee [Visitor]
These caddies are not paid just to haul around the bags. If the player isn't thinking clearly, the caddy should speak out. Everyone watching TV was shouting "Phil - hit an iron!!"
Permalink 06/19/06 @ 13:08
Comment from: Bob Balfe [Visitor] · http://balfes.net/blog
Excellent points! I have been saying the exact same thing to my circle of friends over the last 12 hours.

Here is another one about a caddy I blogged on my site:

Outside of one annoying observation the day was a fun and amazing event. ... The one bad observation was Charl Swartzel's caddie smoking a cigarette on the sixth hole and he proceeds to throw it on the ground and put it out with his foot and worst of all he leaves the cigarette butt in the picture perfect fairway, ugh.
Permalink 06/19/06 @ 15:38
Comment from: Brandon Tucker [Member] Email · http://www.worldgolf.com/blogs/brandon.tucker
Monty's decision to change clubs after five minutes with what was probably the "right" club bugs me way more than Phil's decison to hit driver. But if these caddies failed their masters, it was their failure to put enough confidence - not clubs - in their swings.

Phil and his caddy were mic'd up on a hole on the back nine where his caddy said 3-iron and Phil politely told him "I'm the golfer not you: 4-iron". It would have been the exact same convo on the 18th.
Permalink 06/20/06 @ 02:39
Comment from: Saul [Visitor]
Lefty developed a cockiness that the great ones have learned to leave at home. Until he gets the "smarts", he will always be an "also ran'.
Permalink 06/20/06 @ 22:01
Comment from: Ron Mon [Member] Email · http://www.buffalogolfer.com
I would not call him an "also-ran." A stupid, yes, but an also-ran, no.
Permalink 06/20/06 @ 23:10
Comment from: Greg [Visitor] · http://It's comforting to know....
Players get precisely the caddies they either earn or deserve. Hogan understood his game perfectly and deluded himself about nothing on or off the golf course...he just needed someone to carry his bag.
Mickelson only understands what he wants..that's why he has more Majors regrets than trophies..despite great talent. And why he's perfectly comfortable with a yes man like "Bones." Phil's bag..Phil's baggage.
In any case..feel like we all came out ahead not having to watch his wife and little girls hold another love fest on the 18th green.
I really thought that little blurb I saw about Phil Mickelson's Personal Training Program was a put on. Tell me he doesn't have a personal trainer. I've seen candidates for drug rehab programs who look like they could run rings around Mickelson.
Permalink 06/23/06 @ 02:08

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