Caddie Tales: Answers Inside the Ropes

This weekend, Shane Bacon will be out at the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International caddying for one of the pros on the LPGA Tour, Erica Blasberg. You can follow him daily with his Caddie Tales.

On Friday, Erica Blasberg (and myself, I guess) did what we needed to do to make it to the weekend. It was a solid round on greens that continue to dry out, and unfamiliar Phoenix winds keep messing with a golf course not used to such gusts. Erica finished with at 1-over 73 to make the cut by three shots and earn a weekend bonus with yours truly. Some of my fellow FanHouse scribes asked questions about the experience thus far. I tried my best to answer with a shoulder that continues to ache.

Have you noticed any interesting behavior from Blasberg or any of the LPGA golfers? Maybe OCD-type behavior or otherwise?

The answer has two very unique parts. First, Erica might be the least obsessive-compulsive golfer you will ever see. She knows what she is doing, takes it seriously, but golfs the way you and your weekend buddies do. Line up, hit it, except she knows where it's going.

Now, for LPGA golfers as a whole, I will say this. The only time I felt like I was doing a poor job at caddying was when we'd get on the greens and the other two professional caddies were stepping off yards to the weekend pins like they'd get tortured if they didn't. LPGA golfers are way more technical, in my opinion, than PGA guys and work way more off of yards for their short game than anyone I've ever played with.

Erica, like myself, plays way more off of feel than numbers (which is a bonus for a caddie that may or may not know exactly what he is doing. Honestly, if I was with someone that wanted numbers all the time I might have to bluetooth my buddy Andrew).

What's the toughest part of being a caddie? Do you ever think you could do this for a living and be good at it?

I think the toughest part about being a caddie for a tour player is making sure you are as confident as they are.

At times I find myself using words like "Maybe left edge ...," or "I think that is the club." Just like the golfer, being confident as a caddie at least helps the player commit to a certain line or club, and that means just as much to the golfer as the ability to pull the shot off.

As for being able to do this, I'd answer that with a friendly nope. I think it is a cool experience and I love doing this with Erica, but I think after a few weeks of this I'd wonder what was next. With that said, the caddies that are out on tour week in and week out have earned my utmost respect. These people make it look easy, and while I'm bumbling with the rake or slowly pulling the putter out while Erica is patiently waiting for it, they do all this with the ease of Ernie Els' golf swing. Your job is to basically be the confidence booster, yardage man, bag toter, club cleaner, jacket/food/drink holder, green reader, enforcer and buddy all at the same time. It isn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be.


If you had to caddie one golf star for the rest of your life, would it be Blasberg or a different golfer?

Erica and I have a good chemistry on and off the golf course, so I wouldn't mess with that. I can make her laugh on the golf course, even after tough holes, and I think that is a huge bonus when so much is on the line for these people. I heard a certain player and her caddie bickering after an early Friday round by the chipping green, with the player annoyingly telling her caddie, "I said bring the lob wedge! That is the club we would have used on 18." I could never see Erica doing that, because she understands that I am trying just as hard as she is, even if I'm not as good at my trade is she is at hers.

There was a funny moment on Friday where Erica was hitting a drive on one of her last holes into a tough wind. Before I handed her the driver, I gave her one of those "Hit a good one here!" pep talks. She stripped the fairway and told me after, "That was the most nervous I was over a shot all week," because of my added push. I think that is good for both player and caddie.

The PGA is curious about miking caddies for television broadcasts ... what's the best soundbite between you two that we'd pick up on if you had the mic?

Now that is an interesting question. Probably the best soundbite golf-wise came on the par-3 13th. The wind was picking up and Erica muscled a 4-iron to a left pin that probably was really a longer club, but she hit it perfect to get it on the front. Erica had about a 25-footer for birdie, and after we both looked at it, I did what you are supposed to do as a caddie -- I asked her what she thought it would do first. Erica thought it was a cup out on the left side, the exact read I had thought when first observing the tricky left-to-right birdie try. Erica stroked it wonderfully, it had the right amount of speed and dropped directly in for a two. After she waved off the applause, she walked with a funny grin my way and said, "Finally, you read a putt correctly and I hit one right." Hey, at least I got one right.