Is a Caddie Important?

I’ve found it very interesting how many people think the only thing a caddie does is carry around that big heavy tour bag for the player. Tonight’s blog is going to be info about what a caddie does for a golfer…

A caddie is one of the golfer’s most important tools…and while she/he does carry the bag if necessary, there are numerous other functions they perform! I’m going to use the term “she” as I am a female 😉

1. She knows yardage…this includes yardage from tee to green and where bunkers and fairway hazards are.
2. She knows her players game as well as, if not better than, he knows it himself. She has studied his shots, seen his tendencies and knows his strengths and weaknesses.
3. She checks the weather for the scheduled day of the tournament…and takes into account what the weather variations will do to the flight of the ball.
4. She talks to the staff at the course to find out the “secrets”…does everything slope a certain way? Are the greens particularly slow or fast? What is the sand like?
5. She has to keep her player in the right frame of mind. Caddie and golfer have a history together and a caddie can break the tension her golfer may be experiencing with just a few well timed humerous words.
6. The caddie is also there to run interference. This can be crowd control, this can be stopping other players from getting in her golfer’s head, or allowing others to make suggestions during play.
7. Standard pay for a caddie is 10% of the players winnings, although the player may choose to give more for a big win.
8. Caddies practice with their players and travel with them to tournaments. Even though players have a lot of buddies on tour, the reality is every player is ultimately out for themselves and in the end, they know they can count on their caddie.
9. Caddies help read greens with their golfer and instill a level of confidence with shots.
10. Extras I do as a caddie: I clean the grooves in the golf clubs, wipe down the grips and make sure a new golf ball is ready at all times (and clean the grungy one on the green). I pack snacks and drinks to keep Ron’s energy level up during his round. I bring icy cold rags to cool him down during the hot summer nights. I hold the umbrella when it’s raining. On top of all that…yes, when playing in a tournament where no carts are allowed, I carry that big tour bag.

Being a caddy is a very rewarding experience. Sure, you occasionally get blamed for a misread green, and a caddie certainly takes the brunt of the player’s frustration…but the teamwork and trust in the partnership is what makes it an amazing experience!

Life goes on after qualifying rounds

I know many of you have been anxiously waiting for an update on the US Open qualifier Ron competed in on the 12th.  While he actually had a very good round of golf, he unfortunately did not make it in the top 7 spots…which is what was needed to continue on to the Sectional Qualifier.

Disappointing…yes.  Learning experience…YES!  Motivation for the next event…YES YES YES!!!

Some really valuable lessons came out of this:

•  First, we learned that walking the courses is so much better than riding in golf carts.  There are several reasons for this including not getting stiff between holes, having ample time to discuss the next shot and strategy, and most importantly, it kept us mentally in-tune and relaxed.  I have to say that even though Ron did not qualify, his mental presence was fantastic during this round. 
• Another lesson learned was trusting the shot 100% and knowing we can count on his abilities to hit precisely where he needs to.  That may sound simple, but it’s not.  For those of us who are just hackers, striving to break 100 and just have a lot of ‘fun’ on the course, we hope we can hit our irons in the general vicinity where we need to and stay in play.  For a Professional Golfer, there is no doubt what distance each club is going, that the ball can be worked to fade, draw, cut, flop, run-out, spin back, land soft, (and many other options too)…that’s his job…and he has refined his skills to perform that job.  The kicker is the mental space and making sure that’s working in unison with the rest of his body.  Not letting a doubt or altered thought creep into his mind during a golf shot has allowed Ron to advance his game even more.
• When the pressure is on…jokes ease the tension!  We knew this…afterall, we are constantly joking and messing with each other during practice rounds, but until this tournament, we’ve stayed more rigid during events.  Well…lightbulb…staying relaxed keeps the game fun and the attitudes positive!  We had the good fortune of being paired with a very cool guy who joined in on the joking, along with his caddie, toward the end of the round.  It’s always such a pleasure to pair up with fun people on Tour!
• People quit…Ron will NEVER be one of them!  One of the guys in the pairing (it was all 3-player pairings for this event), withdrew after 9 holes…ouch.  Now granted, there is some rule about being banned from PGA events if you shoot over a certain score and maybe this guy felt he was in jeopardy going into the back 9.  Regardless, having a fellow golfer withdraw mid-round actually does impact the other people he was golfing with.  Ron managed to block that out and continue playing well.

So what’s next on the agenda?  Fundraising and mini Tour!  There is a 3-day event here in Arizona, at the end of the month that would be a great opportunity for him.  There’s decent money to be made in 3-day events and again, great experience and exposure for future touring.  As always, thanks for your continued support and stay tuned for more exciting golf news!

Hello Ron Montoya Golf Supporters!

I am proud to launch this new Blog and Fundraising site for Ron Montoya!  Exciting news and updates will be posted soon!