Why caddies let tour pros freak out

Golf Digest

I’ve accepted that I’m a pretty average golfer. When I hit a green in regulation, hole a long putt or get up-and-down from a bunker, I tend to shrug it off as lucky—modesty is the best policy. And when I hit a banana ball, dunk my approach in a pond or three-putt, I don’t (usually) get too upset because, well, what should I really expect? I bring this up because in our latest Undercover Caddie story, our anonymous looper explains why it’s good for tour pros to get upset at times, and why he’s glad when his man lets out a scream or two, especially when it’s channeled the right way. It got me thinking whether it might help my game to actually get a little angrier. Give the story a read and see what you think. (Oh, and after you’re done, I bet you’ll never look at a porta-potty at a PGA Tour event the same way again.)

Undercover Caddie: Why we let tour pros freak out

Sometimes you’ve just got to let your player vent. Caddies who stand up for themselves in the middle of a round help nobody

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Luke Kerr-Dineen

Rory McIlroy looks like he’s added some more muscle mass this season. So I asked him about it earlier this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. McIlroy says his “fighting weight” is 174 pounds but joked he’s currently at 180 after a well-deserved three-week vacation. “A few weeks of living too well, I think," he said. Rory’s physical transformation remains one of the most underrated stories in golf. He was listed as 154 pounds when he arrived on tour. A back injury scare pushed him to the cutting edge of strength training in golf. The results speak for themselves (although he struggled mightily in his first round at TPC Southwind). “Look at me. I don’t have the levers. I need to lift. I need to be strong. If I’m not strong, I don’t get to 190 mph ball speed.”

Ryan Herrington

The quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur are this afternoon at Merion Golf Club, and the average age of the eight remaining golfers is 21.25. That's because for the ninth time in the last 12 years (and 15th in the last 20), none of the quarterfinalists are among the 25-and-older set. It's now 33 years and counting since the last mid-amateur claimed the Havemeyer Trophy (John Harris, 1993). Just how long a gap is that? Prior to this winless era, the next longest stint was nine years (Vinny Giles winning in 1972 and then Jay Sigel in 1982). The last time a mid-amateur even reached the championship final? That was 1998 when Tom McKnight fell to Hank Kuehne at Oak Hill. That’s a U.S. Amateur that’s near and dear to my heart; it was the first one of the 21 I’ve covered in person for Golf Digest.

Jay Coffin

Jessica Bang, an 18-year-old from Australia who turned pro last year, died Thursday. She had suffering from a brain hemorrhage two weeks ago while preparing for a tournament in Thailand. The WPGA Tour of Australasia confirmed the death, saying, “the thoughts and prayers of everyone at the WPGA Tour of Australasia and the broader Australian golf community are with Jessica’s family, friends and all those who knew and loved her at this incredibly difficult time.” Bang had remained in intensive care at a Bangkok hospital since the Aug. 1 accident. She won the prestigious Queensland Amateur and turned professional last November. In February, she shot a final-round 65 to win a regional qualifying event to reach the NWS Women’s Open on the Ladies European Tour, where she missed the cut.