Can caddying make you a better player?

After a promising start, it’s been a disappointing golf season for me—but it’s not for a lack of trying, if you’ve been following my “Late Scratch?” series. I’ve spent the past year trying—and writing about—a variety of things from equipment tweaks to speed training to even cold plunges. Unfortunately, none of that has kept me from falling into a slump that has plagued me the past couple months.

But while my golf handicap hasn’t gone down as I hoped, my golf IQ has gone way up. And I’ve discovered that one of the best ways to learn how to play the game is through caddying. 

No, I’m not looping as a side gig (although, it’s not the craziest idea ... The economy, am I right?) but rather, I’ve caddied on a couple occasions for Quaker Ridge head pro and one of Golf Digest’s Best In State teachers, Mario Guerra. It’s the least I could do to pay him back for helping me with my game. But in the process, I also wanted to see what I could glean from having an up-close look at how a club pro takes on a tournament round.  

So here are seven (more) things I learned from caddying that I believe can help everyone’s game. Hopefully, even mine. Whenever I break out of this slump.

7 (more) things I learned caddying in a pro tournament

Mother Nature and a storied venue made our writer's second caddying experience even more memorable.

By Alex Myers

What You Need to Know

Joel Beall

The PGA Tour is cutting ties with a controversial sponsor. ONEflight, a luxury travel company, has been the title presenter for the tour’s alternate event in Myrtle Beach the last several years, but is facing multiple federal lawsuits over fraud allegations after the company suspended all operations last month. However, the event will continue in 2027, with the tourism arm of Myrtle Beach taking over sponsorship duties. Brandt Snedeker won last year’s tournament, while fifth-place finisher Aaron Rai would go on to win the PGA Championship the following week.

Alex Myers

From a ‘Big Break’ to a tough break. That's how one mystery golfer must feel after the Austin Championship announced its sponsor exemptions for next month's new PGA Tour event. The winner of Golf Channel's rebooted reality show was supposed to get a spot in the tournament which was previously sponsored by Good Good, but that all changed after the company released a video promoting a Callaway driver in which a man shoves a woman to the ground. "Big Break x Good Good" wound up being cancelled so fans never saw who won. And whoever won wound up losing out on a PGA Tour start. Instead, as Golfweek reports, a pair of former University of Texas golfers, Tommy Morrison and Christian Maas, Austin native Cole Sherwood, and 17-year-old phenom Miles Russell got the four exemptions into the event to be played Nov. 12-15 at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa’s Fazio Canyons Course.

Joel Beall

The Asian Tour’s season finale has been canceled. Due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the PIF Saudi International, planned for the middle of November at Riyadh Golf Club in Saudi Arabia, was postponed Thursday "following an assessment of the organizational and logistical challenges associated with hosting the tournament.” No makeup date has been announced. "The Asian Tour remains in direct contact with its players and members regarding the schedule and next steps," the tour said in a statement. "Golf Saudi thanks players, partners and fans for their understanding. Further details will be announced in due course." The news comes after a series of attacks on three airports in Saudi Arabia, which have killed 20 and injured more than 370 people. The Asian Tour recently ended its relationship with LIV Golf following PIF pulling its support from the league. The DP World Tour’s season finale—set to be played in Saudi neighboring UAE—remains on the schedule.

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