Golf is often thought of as a solo sport. There is no team unless it’s played in a team event such as the Ryder Cup, the President’s Cup or the new EurAsia Cup! But week in and week out, no matter which Tour, each player and their caddies join forces to take on the course and the rest of the players in the field. It can be said that they are a “team” and the importance of a caddie to a player should not be overlooked!
ESPN.com explored this topic as writer Steve Wulf ponders why no caddies have been admitted to the World Golf Hall of Fame. Tiger Woods may have won 14 major championships but caddie Stevie Williams was also on his bag for 13 of them! Surely, Stevie played a huge part in Tiger’s victories. And just like Stevie, Jim “Bones” MacKay was a huge part of Phil Mickelson’s victories in his career. Having been on Phil’s bag for 20-plus years, Phil can attest the importance of having Bones on his bag and most recently, their partnership was able to bring home the Claret Jug with a victory at Muirfield!
ESPN senior golf analyst Michael Collins, who was a veteran PGA tour caddie himself, asks the same question and considers the absence of caddies in the Hall of Fame, a slap in the face! In his own article, Michael discussed his path from being a comedian to becoming a professional caddie and also list his Mount Rushmore of Caddies! Who are your Mount Rushmore of Caddies and do you think caddies are really an integral part of the team? For us weekend golfers, we can probably stick with our caddies on our phones!
Source: ESPN.com
