All right guys welcome back to the rich Hills Golf Show podcast episode 144 my name is Rick Shields I'm here with co-host guy um. And this podcast like the next.
Couple as well and the previous one is powered by our really good friends at golfbidder yes uh last week we announced the uh partnership. And to be honest the reception was huge because we mentioned as well they have a little match against a certain Peter Finch where they both spend 500 pound. And people seem to absolutely love it Pete has responded breaking news breaking news Peters responded he said he'll be ready on a First Tee he's also said on social media that he's a way out the country. For like the next.
Five weeks so gonna I'm gonna do it when. And where to be honest five weeks is probably good. For me yeah I'm I'm on holiday. And I've got all the bits going on. So you know what five weeks gives me time to start hitting my driver better because your driver's really gone downhill everything else at my chipping and putting got better chipping's got miles better um it's been pretty nice if Portland's been good from like not amazing on Long ports but six foot in you're banging him home you drive it though I don't want to say pathetic but I'm leaning more towards that we've got this is a guest episode as well on the on the show today.
We've got will Davidson who's a tour cadity. And we've just been on the golf course and he's cadded for me so let's let's wait for the full bashing of my golf game from will. But obviously the announcement of the partnership last week with golf bitter went down really well loads of comments exciting times um and we've had one entry into the dear Rick entry part of the moment yeah. And I believe you've got another one it's a huge part with one little name in there so far uh we've actually had um we asked for emails quite a lot and we get a good amount of emails email us podcast ricksheels.com however. when you say there's a prize part and there's a golf but a gift card the amount yet to be disclosed so they get a lot of emails and letters and posts and everything however. I've got a good one and I picked them for different reasons so there's been a lot of clickbait titles I like it I respect it they did get my attention. But I also sometimes read the ones I think I want to see how you answer it okay okay. So this is a good one again they're all gonna be anonymous um if you win though he loves getting email back save once you'll know. And obviously your email would have been read out this one though it says dear Rick and then.
He also put anger and guy in Brackets anybody I know this helps so again he got he got in they put me in there he knows he just knew sending spot the title of the email how do I keep my partner happy okay you're the kind of guy who knows to keep you partner happy I try my best we've been married. For nearly 10 years nice and uh been together for 15 years so I'd like yeah give me three top tips then.
Before this email her birthday today.
Yes. And I'm here doing podcasts and been out filming but tonight I'll treat her a whiner I'll Diner okay keep talking to me [Laughter] I won't finish the rest of that sentence um three top tips how to treat your partner well communication oh nice um by what's up communication um honesty. And um understanding wow check out my new podcast Rick Shields The Love Doctor okay well you you sound like the qualified guy to answer this email lens. So okay my partner recently uh joined well it doesn't quite make sense. But join the love of golf but basically my partner recently in lockdown got into golf okay however. recently she had been complaining that I never make time to play golf with her. And only with my dad how do I keep both parties happy I enjoy playing golf with both my dad I'm a partner however. she isn't anywhere near the same standard as me. And my dad so therefore. it's not always as enjoyable and what should I do it's a good one. So it's It's tricky because like all of us we've probably had friends who've got into golf yes. And when you get into golf guess what it's not very easy and it's hard and you and people struggle because it's challenging and if you've played golf for a long time it's sometimes hard then.
To kind of sit in a group with a golfer that's struggling as much as you want to encourage him you want to keep them going um you can be conscious of people around you I think certainly let's say this Anonymous email there is as a member of a golf club. And so is his dad. And they're out on the golf course playing you know if their partner might be a bit slow and kind of new to the game which obviously everybody has to learn everyone has to go through those stages they might be quite conscious of people coming up behind them and playing behind them and you know suddenly they're getting bad reputation for being slow and all this but um for me I would say there's a couple of things you should do just try I think different formats help a lot massively. So I think there's formats out there where he can play with his dad. And his partner and everybody's happy like team games I love team games me yeah like you know what I would almost just play I would recommend three something what they call like I play in Pro arms quite a lot when I play in these like programs like BMW. And things like that Texas tour pro scramble everybody tees off you choose the best tee shot and then.
You play your own ball from yeah. So it's just and and you could even extend that because again in some of these programs pars your friends it's all about making net bird is anything over in that bird it doesn't matter you can pick it up if you choose to that's a good phone Matt something like a text to scramble. Or a scramble where you're playing as a team I even like the fact that if he's pretty good and his dad's pretty good why not do where they play alternate shots with the partner. So it's like two versus one so him and his partner versus dad but maybe um the guy and his partner his wife his girlfriend or whatever they play alternate shots and play against the dad I think it's ways to question. For you though I like how you're trying to you're trying to think of ideas of how they could have more fun. And play but is this at the whole point of a handicap system that if she's not as good she gets more. And she gets more shots to then.
Make it a fair match I probably don't think it's a match thing though I think it's more it's just slow potentially. And doesn't yeah I think it's more the fact that if if let's say again he's a good player his dad's a handy player they're smashing it down there at 250 yards. And she's quite new and anybody that is new it's not it's a hard game to pick up straight away she's only hitting it 50 hours off the tee. Or she might Duff it or it happens to any new golfer it's quite a long process they might have hit one golf shot and she might have it four or five golf shots to get to their one surely The Simple Solution should be each plays more golf he plays his partner and she's in happy and he says right up literally on Wednesday after works on Saturday I'm playing with my dad she can't really complain she says well it's my dad's day today.
Yeah you can play double him out of golf that's another good way of doing it yeah um it's a nice situation to be in it is the I'm sure there's many many people listening that would love to play golf with the dad whether the dads have passed away. Or they'd not be able to um play anymore they don't know their dads or whatever it is. Or the dads don't play golf I'm sure there's loads of people listening would love to play with their dad so he should treasure that time in that moment and I'm sure there's loads of people who would love to play with their partners this is taking a very like sorry part of me thought we were going to start doing that role plays rather the girlfriend. And you be the I mean like a phone call. And now going this really suck. But I think you're right no it is. And I think some now. And it's very easy to to overlook it celebrate these times out in the golf courses with people you love and I think sometimes like it it can happen where suddenly something happens. And he won't be able to have that time on the golf course with his dad or his girlfriend or whatever speaking of being on the golf course people you love I'm gonna just slightly tweak that to being on the golf course people that you quite like slash tolerate our break 75 and me versus you went out on Friday oh yeah. And uh we can you know a bit of a spoiler before we get will on uh we played golf break 75 Dunham Forest um you beat me well done thanks thanks very good wow golf pro beats amateur. So chill for yourself no you played very nicely uh as always uh what annoying about that round of golf. And this always happens with golf there's gonna be something that annoys you I was playing quite tidy golf getting it around nicely four apart on the 18th T which. For me I'm gonna take all day long and as pert's in Andrews when I lost my head and um I just melted and come up with a treble bug on 18. you did very well to get around that Golf Course only hitting driver once I know called me Tiger Woods. So I think I think you managed your game well I think you hit some really really good shots. But also there's a mixture of of not great ones um I thought t-shirt on 18 wasn't your finest but um it's one of one of those things considering you turn up to the golf course remember you're saying I've been to driving range this weekend I've hit every shot terrible yeah it was at this week's that was this week. So this that so Dunham first the good one and then.
This week's break 75 is where we were raving up last time that's at wallacy oh yeah. So there's some good videos in the Canon today's one really good it's another good one that will come out next.
Friday getting into today's video should we get our guest on absolutely I'm excited. For this one that's welcome will Davidson. And just like that yeah will thanks. For coming on the podcast pal I'm glad to be back it's uh it's been a minute as you you describe it it's been a minute since we've first ever ever ever ever met yeah it has yeah can you remember exactly where it was oh it was uh it's gonna be embarrassing if he does two thousand 15 okay yeah that sounds about right 2015 in was it in Scotland no uh right next.
Guest we met in Turkey oh that's right because you were catfish you were caddying. For how Tong Lee and I played in the Turkish Airlines um program that's right and we knocked it around and it was good fun it was we exchanged details at the end of it that's right. And uh we've been I I thought I thought really close friends ever since but obviously you can't remember when we first met um but yeah no will you are a tour pro caddy right yeah you have cadded. For how Tong Lee as I mentioned beef yep Andrew Johnson yep um and Van Damme and Van Damme yes Smiley Kaufman Smiley Collins. And currently Lexi Thompson Lexi Thompson haven't missed anyone out there I did work. For Ross Fisher for uh about seven eight months um right before covid so yeah. So you are an official tour pro caddy I've got nine full years under my belt now what does it feel like it's not like it's like being a caddy it's one of those things it's like back in the day it was a job that I would never even considered you know I grew up playing golf grew up wanting to to be in the golf business somehow somewhere did you want to be a player you know obviously Everybody Wants to Be a Player. But you know are you really good enough to be that player yeah probably not um. But yeah I uh it's funny how it started really. And uh started with with smiley actually I grew up playing against Smiley in junior golf you know ajgas bga's back in in the states and uh you know we uh we just hit it off came good buddies um he went to LSU I went to Auburn didn't see each other for three years or so um after college he decided to turn pro I ran into him at a Baron's baseball game which is the minor league ball Club in Birmingham it's a really random really random hadn't seen him in a year ran into him he said oh what are you doing right now. And I said well I just got off shoulder surgery just been doing some rehab. And whatnot and he says well I'm I'm gonna turn pro in a couple months you want to do Q school with me. And I was like well I'm not doing anything. So sure why not let's do it you've just had a shoulder in Dreadful if you fancy carrying a bag before really happy girl. And you know what's funny is actually. So well I I can carry it on my left I'll be fine with that not thinking tour bag All That Jazz just thinking yeah I can carry my bag of my left anyway right no way. So I I want to dive into Smiley Kaufman very quickly before we go on to the rest of your journey obviously he has he has had a very very interesting life on tour yeah um when he when he first turned Pro was he was he really good like was he as good as as he should have been because he's obviously had some issues on the golf course now. And I'm guessing they're mental more mental issues um was it was he amazing when he first turned Pro yeah he he was you know growing up he was a great player um in Birmingham you know won a bunch of the junior events. And stuff like that I mean everybody kind of knew who Smiley was growing up in Birmingham well if you have a name like smile Legends well that's true this is true very true um. But yeah you know he was he was a good player. And when he went to LSU he didn't crack the start and rotation for I think three years I think on the team is that he was on the team he was on scholarship at LSU. But didn't really play a whole lot didn't really um crack the start and rotation consistently um and then.
His senior year you know finally cracked the yeah I have no idea what cracked the starting rotation means meaning he got into the top five guys that are playing every week you know week in week out right. So I think like like Auburn when I was there I think they had 14 players on the team I got you um. But only the top six play in each tournament each week wow okay. So it's a You Know It's a Grind to try and get into that very competitive college golf is very competitive what makes you good at that age. Or into it as well yeah that's the golf consistently all the time against all the really good players yeah I kind of feel like I wish I'd encountered it would definitely improve because you've got to be on your game yeah 100 yeah you're either gonna know I've got this minerals to do this. Or you're gonna get beat every week and go I'm not good enough it's not for me what's funny is actually in jumping off off what we're just talking about there. For a second but like when I was at Auburn there were the starting five I think four out of five of them are on tour. And still on tour today.
I mean that's that's ridiculous like there's no chance I would cry I could try to walk on. And I'd be 14 or 14. it ain't gonna happen so you know so what's happened again just quickly what's happened to Smiley now so smiley um he's gone through some injuries um he had a left wrist injury a right elbow injury you know back to back you know maybe didn't heal properly whatever um but you know it's it's funny his game is still really really good um I go. And play with him in Birmingham quite often actually um he I think two times ago we went. And played and he shot 63 bogey free granted it was his home course. But uh lost a couple bucks doing that day for sure um but yeah he's he's the game's there you know it's just I feel like when we get into a tournament. And I wouldn't caddy for him down in Puerto Rico probably four months ago um did Puerto Rico open with him. And hit the ball great just have a few that don't quite you know the fake Club face gets left a little bit open or closes just a hair which we all do from time to time of course um. And you know it's it's just everything's Amplified when you get to a a situation like tournament PGA Tour golf when you've got crowds and you've got people correct cameras and you've got compression you're playing for the money and also for him you'll have a bit of a stigma that you have to kind of get over this hill really and start playing again yeah. But anyway I I just want to kind of dive into that a little bit because I was I was quite intrigued about the past. But obviously right now you're on the bag of one of the most famous lady golfers ever in Lexi Thompson you've been on the back for her for how long now it's actually going to be a year this week is it really yeah. So it was right after the open last year um she's a huge name in the world of women's golf how does how does all right the let's say the politics of it all work out like if you how did you know that Lexi had a bag free did you approach her does she approach you how does all that work behind the scenes. So I knew so she and her caddy split at the Olympics actually of all places is it is it like a jobs board a Caddy's jobs board anyway uh yeah you know it's like a big uh big Post-It note. And everybody just kind of sticks up who wants to work with who and you know run some strings back and forth but no it's uh it's one of those things where it's just kind of word of mouth like um you know I knew that somebody told me that she. And her caddy had split at the at the Olympics um we were headed over to play. And now we're headed over to play the Scottish and the British because you were cutting. For an Van Damme correct I was yeah. And um you know that that job became open right after the Olympics like I said went. And finished the open was on my flight back was actually talking to um Jason Nelly quarter's caddy. And we were just talking he's like yeah I don't know who's gonna get the Lexi job. And whatnot and I just kind of started thinking you know I've worked for Curtis her brother I've done some some weeks with him um and you know I'm not one to kind of go look out and say Hey I want to jump from bag to bag to bag but it was just something inside I was like you know this is just an opportunity I might not get again. And so I reached out um actually reached out to uh her dad and uh said something said hey look you know I'm I would certainly be interested in in talking to you guys um. And by the time I landed from the UK back in in Alabama uh I had a message from him saying hey yeah let's uh let's talk. And I think we talked. For 20 30 minutes and basically he said look we're looking at a couple other people as well. But you know we're certainly interested in you as well and I said okay great. And uh two days later he said hey look let's do this let's let's do the rest of the year see how it goes. And rock and roll and now we're now we're in a year it's like a really like informal job interview and says it's like you hear about a job coin up and did you ever did you ever get an idea of how many caddies they were looking. For at that point obviously wasn't sorry they were looking. For one but you know how many people do how many candies they were actually talking to I don't. And and you would think like somebody like that probably has you know there's probably a number of guys that were like hey look you know I'd certainly be interested um I don't actually know that number um you know I know that you know like zaladors bag just came up the other day Rick Fowler's bag just came open. So I'm sure that there's plenty of people around in the caddy world they're like hey let's you know I want to put my name in for this so when you when you kind of pitch yourself forward for that job and you spoke to Dad what was the biggest thing kind of on your CV that you used to kind of show yourself was it the fact that you kind of fit. For beef or for Ross Fisher or for how what was it that like you kind of really leveraged yeah well you know it helped that I carry. For her brother yeah I'm Curtis that obviously you know kind of knew the family um from years back I actually knew Curtis Curtis played at LSU with smiley met Curtis through Smiley it's funny how it all comes around yeah um. But yeah it's you know it's it's just like it no one Curtis really helped they kind of had a comfort there you know kind of put me maybe a hair above everybody else. But you know they they do want to know like hey what what have you done you know what did you do prior to working with Anne um. And obviously being out there with Anne you know they've seen how how we've played before we played with Lexi once or twice while we're out there um played a practice round with her so I mean you know we released like already you knew comfortable with each other yeah comfortable with each other in a way. And so I think that was just the biggest difference because everybody can caddy like all these not everybody all the guys out there already um professional cars right they can caddy. But it's just personality a chemistry like who gets on with who you know what type of person 100 and who gets the best performance out of the player I guess because it comes down to that like as much as you've got to just carry a golf bag that's what it looks like it's so much that goes into it like we've just been on the golf course this morning right and we've just played and I'll be honest with you I played pretty poor today.
I've seen you play better. For the first eight holes I was all over the show. But having you on the bag today.
Made me understand the value of having that that reassuring you know voice that okay don't worry I think after seven holes you went it's one of those days where it's a bit of a grinding day today.
And you're like oh yeah okay yeah I get that. And you you know you gave me words of encouragement when I needed it and maybe backed off when I was a bit more heated. Or whatever it may be but I definitely think I'm not gonna give away the result today.
I think I would have shot six. Or seven shots worse if it was if you weren't on the bike today.
And that's at my level if you think a pro level tour pro level um you know there is a massive advantage of having a really good caddy who can put you at ease who can help you perform at your Peak Optimum performance you know. And that's so valuable and that's why you obviously get cuts of the winnings you get right you get a retainer as well as well or not is it yeah yeah. So we get a weekly retainer yeah um. And that's why I like your responsibility and that's we spoke about this on the golf course recently the word when tour pros and now talking at press conferences they talk about we a lot don't they yeah they talk about we as in the player. And the Cabbage relationship that feels like it's changed a lot because it is more like a team now. And I think that's becoming more apparent um as the kind of game grows I would agree with that I would say that you know back in the day back you know 20 30 40 50 years ago when when you know guys are out on tour with caddies you know it was almost like hey pull this guy from the parking lot. And you're carrying my bag today.
For you know for six bucks you know what's your name you know that's that's kind of how it sounded like in back then.
And now it's it's it's turned into much more of a um hey look we've got to have the right personality we've gotta you've gotta learn my game we've got to make the right decisions but I agree with you it has turned into a wee thing because there's so much more that goes into it than just obviously care in the back I think when you when you look at like the relationship that tiger. And Steve Williams had and and and how powerful that was I think he actually became the richest sportsman in New Zealand yeah I believe. So and I think that. For me that really opened my eye to the importance of the team element and you see obviously that famous Embrace I think was the was it the open that Ty gourdes worn after his dad had passed away yeah. And he and Steve like hogged and that was obviously more than just a caddy relationship they were close buddies at the time I think tiger was his best man actually. But he could just tell the how important that kind of friendship is. And that kind of you're everything aren't you kind of a friend you're almost you're an employee but you're also you know a psychiatrist I guess to some degree a psychologist will do. So many things on the golf course with mental coach yeah everything yeah absolutely not it sounds that a bit of security as well yeah like security you have to you have to make sure the crowd aren't being 100 you've got it you've got you've got to stand there. And tell somebody who's moving to shut up you've got to tell the camera guys to move out the way or be quiet you know because the play is not often going to do is it no no no I I love jumping on people whose phone goes off that's my big thing it was a bit much better when people were walking down the ferrys. And Will was shouting at them across the fish shut up rich better shot him man oh yeah what's uh what she go to if someone's phone goes off oh I've got a couple my favorite one is uh hey you know we're at a golf course you know what silence the phone's here something like that. Or I like being a little smart with it you know just kind of like uh you know um telling him without telling him telling him without telling him without being rude but kind of still being funny in a way um so that everybody else gets it they're like oh yeah hold on let me you know let me let me make sure this phone's off here because that's what that's what happens is you'll get one go off. And then.
Another one will go off. And then.
Once I say something then.
You get you turn it if you ever watch me say something to somebody with a phone you'll see 10 people around them all look and be like okay make sure that make sure my phone's on silent here you know um obviously we've said this I think with with Lee Westwood we had him on the podcast. So many golfers have such different relationships with the caddy so some people like Harry diamond and Rory are literally best friends right all the people it's very much a work relationship I guess though obviously you. And beef I know we're very friendly you still are very good buddies is it a different feeling on the back on the LPGA to when you're on the back of maybe a bloke. And you're more paleo you still kind of how does it is there a difference overall it's just very very similar it's very similar in a lot of ways um you know Ann. And I were very close we had a great relationship um you know we grab dinner you know once once a week once every two weeks something like that um you know off days we'd go play Pickleball in the states I know we've talked about that paddle ball here um. But you know we would go do stuff like that. And same with Lexi Lexi we don't obviously go play Pickleball or anything like that it's not really her thing but um you know like we'll you know we have a great relationship outside of golf that is a you know a solid personal relationship I mean you know I can we text during the week like hey what's up how's your day like you good um she'll send me videos of her putting in her house being like you know hey do you see anything here you like this well you know. And I must say hey I love it you know rolling great and she'll send me swing videos stuff like that that's even though it's golf related it's still hey you know what do you think. And that's and that's important in a player caddy relationship in my opinion to be able to do that whereas I'm not just somebody who shows up on you know Sunday. Or Monday and it's like hey how you been yeah good to see you I spoke to you all week that is the case some guys I wouldn't actually have that would you not like to ever do that than even. For the right back no I I would rather have that that relationship. And that you know that ability to reach out and be like hey look you know hey man you know my mom's sick her sister's sick um you know I might be there on Tuesday are you cool with that you know it's like have that relationship to where you know you can ask. For stuff like that or hey I need you to sign like three gloves you cool with that like yeah no problem that type stuff whereas I feel like if you're if you're just showing up on Monday I feel kind of weird doing that is that I don't think there's any on well I'm sorry it won't matter about closer is I was just saying that there is obviously in the world of gents golf there is Lee Westwood has his wife cutting from right is there a lot of is there a lot more examples of that in the ladies game is there a lot more husbands. And boyfriends caddying for the wives and girlfriends out there so I will definitely say there's definitely more husbands girlfriends wives on the LPGA however. a lot of none of them carry. For each other wow which is really cool right. So so Ashley Ashley Blue High has just won the open this week yeah yeah um her husband Dave Caddy's. For Jay Lee six really yeah because they had a massive Embrace yeah. So he he's he's carried he caddies for daily six so oh yeah there's uh let's see who else I could get strange in a playoff because obviously there was a playoff though how would that work here's another one is. So Madeline sagstrom her boyfriend uh caddy for jamery green but she's now having a taken to Medical for some injuries uh but he now carries for Sophia Popoff so you're talking you know there's numbers of different things and there's a couple others out there as well that like date other players but they don't none of them caddy for them and as this sounds I don't know if it is wrong they can say. But if they met on the scene with the day like are they met out on tour of Caddy's players out on tour. And they've got together do you know what I mean as in it's like it's more you know because there's a lot of time traveling around. And if in the environment I'm guessing there's there's a lot of is there a lot more male caddies in the women's game am I right. And saying yeah there is what's the what's the kind of split would you say oh I would say I would say of the say 156 players playing in the field you'll have um four to five that are female caddies oh. So 90 plus percent oh wow yeah. So there's obviously that and that doesn't happen in the men's game it's the opposite way around 99.9 it's a it's a man you think in that setting where you've got a load of male cat is a load of female golfers you're out. And about and you know what I mean yeah well we travel the same place every week I mean it's really like political as well all right not political. But like dramatic you know what I mean like it really can be like at night you see like oh where's he off to I wonder where where is where she's well you know hey look a lot of the players they stay in like one hotel. But none of the caddies ever stay in that same hotel we like to Branch out and go different places and part of the reason is we don't really want to see him we don't want them to know what we're going to do you know it's not that we're doing anything bad it's just like I don't I don't need to give my player a reason to be like hey why are you you know why are you slow today.
Like why are you fumbling with your words today.
Were you out you know partying last night you know you alluded to before that you you see it more like a team these days which is good you know the golfer refers to it as we. And a team and stuff I might be wrong in saying this so but I feel like 20 30 years ago certainly we saw actual golfers footballers there was more like drinking involved it's got a lot more serious I imagine that was the same. For caddies 20 30 years ago it'd be a lot more nights out and maybe a bit more Rowdy our caddies now I guess this is the answer is yes. But our cat is these is a lot more taken it's super seriously. And it's getting almost like competitive between the caddies and taking Fitness more into it and things like that very much so yeah I mean they're still the guys that go out. And you know have a good time I mean. And even like if like we're in Europe um you know I'm gonna go out and have a bite you know because it's like I don't get to do that all the time it's just different if I'm in Ireland I'm gonna have a Guinness you know it's just I'm gonna go do that um. But yeah it's it's definitely gotten to where guys really dial in more to their jobs versus hey let's this is a job that's fun. And I'm gonna go out and have you know some drinks with the guys granted there are still guys that do that. And they do a great job. And they're great at what they do. But yeah I would definitely say that there are it's moved more in the last 10 15 20 years to hey this is this is a job it's a very lucrative job. And I'm gonna really dial into what I do. So I usually don't like I'm not a guy really to go out and party during the week I I I'm more of a homebody I stay at the hotel and or the Airbnb or whatever we're at I would rather cook and and watching TV or something but that's just me when you're traveling around how how does your accommodation things get looked after do you have to do a lot yourself yeah I do everything myself book my own flights um you know bookmoon hotels now usually like we'll split hotel rooms. Or airbnbs a lot of us like to stay at Airbnb or the cut is yeah yeah with other caddies. And like we kind of rotate like some of the caddies you know Paul May May book it this week Mike May book it next.
Week you know Bruce May book it this week I'm a book of the week after that so we kind of It kind of evens out um now obviously we all pay each other for the rooms and stuff like that but it's just like hey yeah it's your way to go book something still around yeah just sit there. And say like green on seven slopes board you think you know it we do Yeah we actually we sit there at night uh some of us are really big golf nerds. So we'll sit there at night and like look at the books and be like oh yeah did you get that that uh that sprinkler on on six you know middle of the Fairway was actually I shot it three down not four down yeah yeah okay yeah okay we'll change it on the book. And then.
Um you know will get like uh oh yeah I don't think you know I think there's that's too slow. For a pen there won't be a pen there you know we I marked it off eight yards is way too close to be a Bend you know there's too slopes to be a pen whatever. So we we definitely talk about different golf stuff do you ever tell people false information I don't hit driver I found well no you have to hit driver I feel like that's a bad karma uh yeah that book's wrong every everything's wrong in that book yeah no I feel like that I've made I've made my own book. And there it is. And it's all it's all yeah exactly this one's a lot better please please read this book well um is an interesting question can you name. For me can you remember. And relay it your best memory of something you've done as a caddy out on tour like golf related is there a moment that you've gone right that was my best moment as being a caddy on tour oh uh yeah I can actually um. And it goes all the way back to one of my first weeks on the European tour it actually was my first week on the European tour yep. And I think that was the some of the best I was the most amateur caddy out there by far. But I think that was some of my best cutting I've ever done really in what way. So how tall we were this is Volvo trying to open um which he would have had a big Following over there yeah he was number one player in China um you know he was 18 19 at the time um yeah we we shot like four under let's see 400 500 600. And then.
Ended up shooting 8 under in the final round and just some blackout golf so win it yeah it ended up winning it. And but what I this was where I thought the my best counting came from is. So we had we had I'm trying to think if we had lead I think we had a either tied. For the lead or one shot lead going into 16 right. So as a par three we hit it on hit on the green two pot make our part we were in the second to last group. So there's a group one group behind us um and we get to 17 and I was kind of like kind of checking back to just kind of see you know what the group behind us did. Or whatever and we had teed off before they had hit their shots down so I was like I can't see it. Or whatever and so we get to 17 hit a great shot on off the tee get to our second shot and he absolutely puts one of the worst swings I've ever seen on it but it goes just pen hide or just behind the pen four or five foot um you know ended up being a great shot but like the swing if you ever go back and look at how songs on 17 yeah oh it was it was flipped. And it was ugly. But you know what the the Finish was great yes well. So the camera guy who was filming us after that shot had like a look he he kind of looked at me funny after we'd hit that shot we were kind of walking up to the green. And his eyes are big. And I just was like you know hey we're good. And he was like um I can't remember who's leading uh Aguilar was was was leading um. And he goes he just hit it into the water on 16. he goes he's probably gonna make he's probably gonna make bogey at least in the cameraman's telling you the cameraman maybe he'll be telling you this well I mean I was gonna see it on the next.
Scoreboard anyway yeah. But um you know it was like our first week out there. And they were kind of like pulling home open you know kind of pulling force. Or whatever and we get to the greens now I'm kind of like okay all right let's see if he makes bogey makes double. Or whatever well we make the pot we birdie it right and so we're walking to 18 t-box and the cameraman's looking at me again his eyes are even bigger this time. And he goes hey he he made double back there he goes you got a three shot lead with two two with one with one to play right and so how tall had no idea he hadn't looked at the at the leaderboard he thought that we were going to be tied because remember we were one down yeah going into 16. Or whatever so we're on 18 and uh how tall he's like yeah you drive here I said yep driver same thing you know same thing we've hit. For four days you know for three days before that hit driver perfect no problem it's a par five water up right on the right on the right yeah. And uh we're in the middle of Fairway given the number to the to the front of the green and the flag and he uh he just immediately pulls through it and I said how tongue I said this is a seven iron he looks at me goes oh we got to make we got to make birdie here. So we might have to make Eagle I said hatsong trust me here this is this is a seven iron we need to just lay up he goes what do you mean I said we have a three shot lead we need to lay up. And he goes well how do you know I said well I looked at the scoreboard on the last green when we were walking off I said in the cameraman told me that he made double on 16. we have a three shot lead. So you're hitting seven iron and I handed him the seven iron right middle of the fair I said. So you're hitting seven it's like a second cut moment in it really right yeah. So then.
It gets even better with this so we get hit the seven iron he asked me like five times can this reach that bunker I said how tall you can hit this as hard as you want it will never reach that bunker okay you're good hits the bar hits it perfect. So we have I'll never forget it we have 104 yards to a back right pin yeah water behind on the right you don't want to be long because it's it's got some rough right behind it it's not like a little waterfall over the back it's like a dream it's like it's like it's like you got the green here. And it kind of falls off to the right and then.
It's in the water I mean if it goes off right it's in the water. And then.
But then.
There's a hill on the back side so if you're if you go long you're basically chipping straight down back down down the green and that's not you're you're dead you're 15 foot at best so it's 104 yards that's what I'm saying it's 104 yards we're going to play this uh. So we're gonna play this at most 100 right because we're just we want to leave it shorter the penny goes oh no I I don't like 100. it was how about 103. I said 103 I said no 100 yards he goes okay 102. I said no we're hitting this 100 yards he said we're gonna hit this 100 yards right he goes okay all right 100 darts this thing goes right at the flag it pitches probably probably six. Or eight inches from the flag and goes right off the back of the green spins back onto the Fringe oh my God and I'm just like the odds with it from danger well it was only oh it was yeah a yard from danger maybe if that I just didn't want to get stuck up on the hill. So it spins back and it's kind of On The Fringe but we only have maybe because it's only like three yards on so we only have like maybe nine ten foot and uh I was just like in my mind I'm thinking this guy has just tried to hit 104 yard shot to a hundred. And four yard Penn and we've one hopped it over the green I said we literally have 60 yards short of this that we can land this. But um and at that point is you're like heart racing because obviously. For the caddy you want your player to win right you want trophies feet you want you want money all right true you're gonna make a cut of what he makes but see also at this time I'm so green in this I mean this is the first European Tour event I've literally your first one this is my first European tour you won your first one. So I did I did I won my first European Tour event. And so we too bought it we actually lift it out on the high side but um but he two-parted it and so you know now he's like he's like kind of uh like oh wow it's funny enough who we were playing with that day was Terrell Hatton. And Alex noren and so they're two caddies I'll I'll remember that forever as well um they were just kind of like congratulating like wow you know what a great what a great round because we just shot eight under you know to win the tournament. But yeah we went into the went into the the scoring tent. And we just kind of sat there on the tee and watched the TV watch the last group so we knew we had to basically hole out from the middle of Fairway and uh he ended up making birdies I think we won by two. But wow it was what a what a that that to me was my best caddy. And able to just tell him in the moment just I don't know why I stepped up but step up and say hey we're hitting the seven iron here you know that's what we need that's about at the time you older than how Tonk or similar right I am yeah I'm five years to the day yeah same day yeah. So maybe even just that a little bit of confidence he's 19 year old not old still 24. yeah you can go no this is the way to play this whole you know yeah that's class that was such a good I was literally I was there with you through every single sentence. And I was like literally pitching the hole that was class it's you know it's one of those those memories I have that obviously I'll never forget. But I I can remember it like you know I mean I can like you just said I can visualize it. And just remember every single moment of that walking down 18. so just being like I can't believe what's happening right now like I'm actually I'm getting chills right now just thinking about it so when you first won though obviously that's ridiculous how did did that then.
Almost give you some ridiculous expectations moving forward. Or did you know that to win is like very rare I knew that like you know I knew he's a good player yeah. And I was just kind of thinking wow like what does this change. And what's funny is I had only packed. For one week to come to China because we were going back to play is web.com then..
But corn fairy tour and so I'd only pack for one week and so he's not like Hey we're going down to Mauritius next.
Week you know like we've we got to go Mauritius. And then.
We're Irish open and then.
We're Wentworth and then.
I'm just like oh my gosh I have no clothes. For this but um I think you could buy a few off to that way uh yeah well yeah yeah well Nike is something yeah yeah Nike said some very quickly I bet they did um that's one of the things like when you go to a new player. Or when you're working with a player you've got to wear the sponsored clothing right typically usually they'd normally sort you out with all the clothing they do yeah yeah they usually do yeah it's yeah what's okay that was lovely burst your bubble now go. For it the worst thing you've ever done what what do you really regret cutting. For Rick Shields I was gonna haunt him. For life today.
Oh again without without spoiler after the first t-shirt I was like oh this would be a fun day when he goes to his next.
Academy why is time between 50 yards right every shot oh sorry I've still got lucky my mind Rick's drawing my mind oh worst worst one um you know I've I've missed I've missed some numbers you know I've missed some numbers big time actually uh it doesn't happen very often. But usually I missed one in a major that wasn't that was annoying oh crap how many yards by well it was it was 10. But it was a wedge all right. So it was actually it was actually 88 yards. And I gave it 108 yards so I was 10 off I was actually 20 off. But I'm saying like I walked it off from the the sprinkler head right but I it was uphill straight uphill. And what I did was when I walked it backwards I realized oh there's a sprinkler head right here I said. But I've already walked 10. so I added the 10 to that one just again in the moment and then.
I gave it the up for the rest of the the shot and of course it's a back pin I mean why why couldn't I get this on a front pin to win you know to where it's not a big deal. Or just middle of the green so it was actually with Anne. And it was in the PGA KPMG PGA Championship. And uh yeah we we wouldn't hop that one right over the green. And what you have to do at that point just hold your hands up. So um did you send that I was like man it caught a bit of wind there didn't it um yeah I hate it long ago yeah yeah jump her out of the rough there jump right to the Fairway I mean um no I she actually didn't realize I I'd done it she just was like wow you know I kind of hit that too hard. And I realized it on the Green right because I kind of re-looked in my book I was like why did I go that far. And I looked at it on the green and I'm like oh my gosh like this was this is definitely on me. And so she didn't realize that we make bogey we actually I think three-point from the back um I was wrong On The Fringe. But anyway made bogey um ended up missing the cut that week by one it was actually by two. But that was one that kind of Spun us out of the you know in the wrong direction. But I told her after she she put it out I said hey after you left to remove to Lexi Thompson that's when you told me no no no no you remember the seventh at the KPMG that was me. So what happened after that then.
I told her and she was like. And she was actually really really cool about it. And she goes hey you know what look we all make mistakes it's all right no big deal I said let's just go get one now let's go get another one that's obviously making the mistake is annoying. For you and for her but I suppose the fact that you were honest about it straight away that builds that level of trust even though as a caddy you know relationship. So she probably did really value the fact you just because she could have got away with it I guess yeah it found in that said anything then.
We were you know never would have nobody would ever known the other thing another one I did was actually then.
Again um where was oh this is US Open I have a thing. For major Japan oh yeah um she it was the last hole of the day we were playing. So this one in Houston um and we played two courses so this is on our other course last holiday we were like way late in the afternoon. And uh we uh we'd hit one in the Fairway bunker and originally she was gonna just hit the wedge out you know wedge it up. And you know hit her third shot from the Fairway then.
Decided that we probably could get there or at least push it up further so instead of putting the club back in the bag she set it on the side of the bag right well I had gone I'd laid the bag down um to go get the rake so I went you know she hit the shot whatever got the rake raked it up picked up the bag didn't realize the club was still laying next.
To the back I guess he'd like falling off to the side. So I left the club in the middle of the Fairway which was the lob wedge which is very you know very well used around the U.S open uh. And didn't realize it until the next.
Morning we had to come back for yeah because I you know after we finished 18 which that was 18th oh we you know set the bag down put it in her car. Or whatever and um you know kind of went on our way and then.
She was like the next.
Morning she's like do you know where my pigeon. Or my law wedge is. And I said well should be in there. And she's like well I did hit some chips at the house last night. So I don't know maybe it's at the house so I actually got in the car drove all the way to the house right which is like 20 minutes we got there way early luckily 20 minutes looked around the house it was like I don't I don't see the wedge like I don't know where this wedge is. And I started thinking like I mean I know I put it back in right. And then.
Doubt started kicking in I'm like oh my gosh I left this wedge I said I left this wedge in the Fairway yesterday I was like I don't know where it is I don't know if somebody's gonna take it I don't know if maintenance has it I said. But we've got another round to play today.
This is not like if you left your golf club at a golf club. And sorry Golf Club a resort I wanna you'd probably think it's gonna be in the Pro Shop yeah right you leave a club A Tour event it's US Open there's too many places it could be somebody could see it pop right under that rope snag it. And be like yep nobody else yeah it could be it could be the crowd could have taken it. And Marshall might have moved it it might be in the back of a bucket it might have been handed over to the guy picking up the pens could grab you know like you never know who found it could be in the caddies the players it could be anywhere yeah. So where was it I well luckily some money in maintenance had picked it up. And turned it into the USGA office thankfully they didn't know whose it was um. So when I left the house I was like. And this is this is not it's not at the house. And she's like well let me go ask around here or whatever and she still had no idea like how it got out there. And then.
So obviously I had to come clean on that like yeah I think I left it on the bunker my bad. So we're walking from the punt green to the to the range when I so she went ahead and started warming up doing her putting drills and all that so I got back from the house when she was like headed to the range. So I picked up the bag or whatever and and by that time she had gotten the wedge back from the USGA and uh I was like hey I'm I'm you know really sorry she was let's just not talk about this okay she's like we need to be focused on today.
Let's not talk about this ever. So I was like okay okay yeah. So that was one that I was like I bet you hear quite a few things that you could Caddy's doing I bet afterwards over a few pints you're like oh definitely guess what I've done today.
Fellas there's a lot that can go wrong there's a lot to remember a lot to do it's been really integral important role. And like that's why you are part of the team the worst feeling though of all time when you're as you're a caddy is sleeping in oh there's not a worse thing than waking up nine missed calls from your player. And go oh my gosh have I have I missed the tea time completely or do I still have time to get there. And have you done that I have overslept however. I've never missed a tea time seven missed calls yes. So that's early you guy raised me seven times for a podcast I got seven missed calls and go am I supposed to be somewhere no I did I'd actually did it with how Tong once um as you know I I had overslept. Or or actually it was we were in Europe somewhere. And I did this was back when like kind of my first time in Europe. And I didn't know that the plugs you have to hit the little switch to turn the plug on so I plugged my phone in and didn't hit the switch I had no idea. And so it just didn't charge all night and so it went you know it died in the middle of the night so my alarm never actually went off oh my God and then.
They couldn't ring you right because right and then.
I just luckily I just happened to wake up and was like wait why is my phone like hey it's light out cause this was like early early. And I was like why is it light out I should be it should be dark right now because I was going to like at like five oh that's a horrible feeling oh my gosh there is no feeling worse than just dropping I hate that it's awful oh my god well well you've been a pleasure thank you. For chatting with me today.
Absolutely you were phenomenal um great to catch up with you again yeah. And uh I look forward to uh seeing you journey and and you Journey with Lexi and you join in the world of Cadian anyway yeah well I appreciate it thanks. For having me um I really enjoyed it you've been awesome thanks for watching everybody listening make sure you like And subscribe I'll see you soon see you later peace foreign.
