Caddies Get Their Shot Before Players Championship

Photo Joe LaCava, left, and Colin Swatton during the caddie competition. Credit Erik S. Lesser/European Pressphoto Agency

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. George McNeill stood behind his caddie, Ernie Rose, as Rose bent over his ball, waggling McNeills 9-iron. It was the Wednesday practice round at TPC Sawgrass, and Rose was taking aim at the island green of the signature 17th hole, a par 3 that was playing 134 yards into the wind.

On the eve of the Players Championship, golfs hierarchy is turned upside down. The deputy becomes the chief, and the chief became the cheerleader. After hitting their shots, the pros whipped out their wallets and placed a folded bill, preferably a hundred, or two, in a kitty, to be divided at the end of the day between the caddie with the shot closest to the pin and the Bruce Edwards Foundation, named for Tom Watsons longtime caddie, who died of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly called Lou Gehrigs disease, in 2004.

Last year, the pot totaled $8,645. The winning caddie also receives a preferred spot in the clubhouse parking lot during the tournament. With McNeill taking video with his smartphone, Rose hit a draw that landed 5 feet 1 inch from the pin, closer than any of the pros in the group. Late in the day, Pat Perezs caddie, Michael Hartford, produced the best shot, landing 3 feet 7 inches away from the hole.

Rose, a native of Australia, played golf at the University of South Carolina and then for several years on the PGA Tour of Australasia. The swing at No. 17, he said, was more nerve-racking than any situation he faced during his competitive career. Because normally you have a whole day to show what you can do, he said.

Jason Bohn, one of the pros in McNeills group, tipped his cap, metaphorically, to the caddies, whose task, he said, is more challenging than shooting a 3-pointer seconds after entering an N.B.A. playoff game midquarter.

Its unbelievably difficult for the caddies just because of the fact theyre carrying this bag, which weighs 30 pounds-plus all day, and they havent made a swing, Bohn said. Most of the guys probably havent played in weeks. To get up there and hit any kind of shot like Big Ernie did, that was awesome.

Before the 1993 Players Championship, the southpaw Phil Mickelson had never seen his caddie, Jim Mackay, hit a shot. At the 17th hole on the eve of the tournament, Mackay, who is right-handed, took the 7-iron of Bob Estes, one of Mickelsons practice partners, and found the water. Jeff Maggert, another member of the group, offered Mackay his 7-iron, which suited Mackay better. He made a hole in one to salvage a miracle par.

Not every caddie is ready for his close-up. Matt Kelly, who carries Marc Leishmans bag, opted out of this years contest. According to Leishman, who is making his sixth start in the event, Kelly told him: Ive hit it enough times in the water. Were playing the front nine.

And so they did. It is the one day of the PGA Tour season where the caddies call the shots sometimes literally, as they will stand at No. 17 and point in the direction of where their ball will land.

In advising their caddies, the players call to mind children mimicking their parents favorite phrases. When Craig Connelly, who loops for the defending champion, Martin Kaymer, addressed his ball, Kaymer patted down Connellys upturned collar so he looked professional.

Slow and smooth, Kaymer told him. Followed by: See your shot.

After Connellys ball found the water, he retrieved his credential and placed it around his neck. He put his sunglasses back on, slipped his watch around his wrist and fastened the clasp. And he hauled Kaymers bag over his shoulder. On his way to the green, Connelly made two confessions. He had hit a ball he snagged from the range during Kaymers warm-up. And it was not the first shot he had attempted this week on No. 17. I hit one Monday into the bunker, he said.

Jordan Spieths caddie, Michael Greller, insisted he was not nervous about hitting the shot. Spieth begged to differ. Oh, yeah, hes nervous, Spieth said. You should have seen how he was playing with his belt this morning.

By the time Spieth and Greller arrived at No. 17, it was midafternoon and the wind had picked up. Spieth hit his ball in the water, then turned into a videographer, documenting, with commentary, Grellers effort.

Greller also found the water. Spieth took the club from him and repeated, Got to be a good sport. Come on.

There may not be a better sport than Rickie Fowlers caddie, Joe Skovron, who received a ball from Fowler to hit that was covered with graffiti. Fowler had written words that included H2O, Shank, Fat, El Hosel.

Skovrons shot came to rest about 40 feet from the pin. I was just happy to get it on the green, he said.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/07/sports/golf/caddies-get-their-shot-before-players-championship.html