PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- The Players Championship wasn't always caddie-friendly. Mother Nature doesn't determine how this course plays through the week. And there's one hole that changes more than any other. All this and more in this week's Caddie Confidential! Enjoy.
Collins: How has this tournament changed for the caddie over the years?
Caddie: It certainly has reached a level that I think everyone would expect. Are we talking about caddies, treatment-wise?
Collins: Yes, because last week's tournament (Wells Fargo Championship) set the bar for caddies.
Caddie: Well yes, I would say Wells Fargo and then just under (them) is Colonial ... So we're in a stretch now, this next four weeks, where it's as good as it gets treatment-wise for caddies. Because I believe Charlotte (Wells Fargo), this week, next week Byron Nelson, then Colonial -- those tournaments definitely understand that this tour is becoming more of a family. ... Let's compare it to Hollywood. You go to a set in Hollywood (and) everybody involved in the production is taken care of. If you're taking care of the actor, you're sure as hell gonna be taking care of the supporting actors! And that's what it is ... as much as the tour may or may not want to admit it, this is a TV show. The players are the actors and the caddies are the supporting actors.
Collins: When did it change here at this event?
Caddie: When they got that new clubhouse. I think that's when it changed over ... they got that new clubhouse and said, "we're gonna to make this the new standard." As far as (the caddies), we have our own chef! Just today I saw a half-dozen players in there eating. You know it's good when the players are in there eating with the caddies. It's crazy, I remember last year seeing Tom Watson in there eating fried chicken with his caddie and the caddies in there. We were sitting around laughing saying, "You would have never seen this 25 years ago!"
Collins: Let's talk about the course. A couple years ago, the course (the greens especially) was not in great shape. Players said the "PC" thing when asked, "Well, we all have to play it so ..." What's the honest truth about the course this week?
Caddie: It's in the best shape I've seen it in since I can remember. The fairways are the tightest that I can remember. I can't remember the fairways being this (closely mown). The greens, obviously, they're keeping them soft right now, but ... this golf course is one of the few we see out here that have a major transformation from the beginning of the week to the end of the week. Augusta being another one.
They can totally control the softness or hardness of the place and you can see it quickly, too ... I be shocked if this weekend it doesn't a get a little borderline unfair because they're gonna wanna push the envelope, because they don't have to care what the course will be like next weekend.
Collins: Who cares if the greens are dead Monday?!
Caddie: Exactly! It'll be a totally different golf course Sunday compared to Thursday morning.
Collins: Why do you think that is, that a course can change that dramatically and drastically during the week?
Caddie: I think there's two places that come to mind; Augusta and here. And what do those two places have? I think they have unlimited budgets. I think when you have a limitless ATM card, then you can do whatever you want in a way. It's all supposed to be Mother Nature, but it's all manufactured in a way and so having that ability gives you a leg up on other places.
Collins: Then what's the challenge for the caddie with such volatile course conditions?
Caddie: You just really gotta be paying attention to the surroundings. Paying attention to the course, you need to adapt with it. If you're not able to use your natural feel and instincts, it's gonna be pretty tough to have ultimate success around here.
Collins: Which hole changes the most throughout the week?
Caddie: I'd say No. 11, the par-5. Yeah because in the beginning of the week people are thinking, "there's no way I can get here in two." And then as the place firms up guys are like, "Holy crap, I got it all the way down here!" Where if you had 3-wood, you wouldn't touch it or even think about it, but now you're going up there and you're hitting 5-iron or 4-iron into it and you never would have done that all week.
Collins: Everyone talks about the closing holes, but which are the hardest holes to caddie?
Caddie: Personally, I would say, there's a lot of trouble with No. 4 and No. 6. And they're not even driver holes!
Collins: What? Why?
Caddie: Because (No.) 4 is kind of awkward. It's just an awkward angle, that tee ball. And if you don't hit that fairway, you just have no idea where that ball is gonna go out of that rough and you gotta go over that water! And then (No.) 6, you've either gotta hit a perfect tee ball in that fairway or you're scrambling. Because if you don't hit that fairway, you're either in that bunker (on the left) or in the trees (on the right). I think it's because it's early in the round and you can get away with not being in the fairway on other holes, but those two are just so important.
Collins: And a player missing the fairway not hitting driver on those holes can blow a gasket!
Caddie: Right! "I can't believe I just missed this fairway with a 5-wood or 4-iron!"
Collins: Is this the fifth major?
Caddie: Yeah. I think if you try to argue that or ignore it, I think you're just being a kind of naysayer. ... Here's a perfect example; just look at the winners of this event and look at the winners of the majors. There are way more multiple winners of majors then there are multiple winners of this event. So that goes to show you how difficult it is to win this golf tournament.
Collins: Ironic that most players say, "No, it's not a major." But a caddie is saying, "Yes, it's a major."
Caddie: For a caddie, it's the biggest payday of the year. How can you get more major than that? (He busted out laughing and then said seriously ...) Last time I checked, we were out here to make money, right? I mean this is a job.
Collins: So if you win this week, what's the first thing you're going to do with the $180,000-plus check?
Caddie: I would continue to fund my other ventures so that I won't have to caddie for the rest of my life. Can I be more broad than that? Because if I tell you what my "ventures" are, then it won't be Caddie Confidential anymore! (laughs)
Collins: True, but I can ask this as a follow up ... How many wins would it take to walk away from caddying?
Caddie: I could probably do it if I averaged a win a year for the next five years, or maybe two or three of these (Players Championships).
If your player wins three of these in the next five years, let him know I'm all warmed up in the bullpen to take over for ya!