I'm A Caddy

[Ben]

So it's been a while. Lots of ups and downs with golf and personal life. My life as a playing professional has taken a backseat for now, and if you've been around here long enough you may remember reading about Sam Yi. I've been caddying for Sam for some time now. Some success with amateur stuff. The last few years moderate success on mini tours and numerous attempts at Monday qualifying as well as QSchools spanning the globe. Well, he finally hit, earning himself a spot on the OneAsia Tour for the 2014 season by winning their QSchool. And I type this out in out room at Hotel Santika in Indonesia. The site of our first event on a real circuit. The Indonesia PGA Championship cosanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour and OneAsia. Granted, this isn't the PGA Tour but wow, it's starting to sink in how tour life feels. Yesterday was the first practice round. Not much happening, a few workers buzzing around setting the place up, but overall pretty quite. We hit balls for a bit then head to the first tee on our own. A group tees off and as we wait up comes an Aussie and he asks to join. "Yeah of course, no problem". We get to playing and Sam being Sam he starts opening up and we come to find out this is Stephen Leaney. Long time tour vet. Played pretty much everywhere. By the end of the round he's dished out a great supply of info and advice. It's pretty much exactly what you'd imagine when you mix an absolute rookie with a vet open and willing to share his knowledge. We couldn't have asked for a better situation to day 1. Oh, forgot to mention, Bio Kim bought us lunch yesterday. That's part of "Sam being Sam". He's one of those guys that can make friends with anyone. Granted the Korean golfer world is a pretty small one. Particularly if you're from SoCal. If you haven't played with this guy, that other guy has and eventually you will too. Then you find yourself in that circle and Sam seems to be one of the more memorable in the circle. Today was the pro-am, which he's not playing in, so we got to the course for a practice day. And today I really started to feel it. Scoreboards are up. Course is wired for cameras and towers are up. The ropes are up. And by now all the golfers are either out playing or practicing. The range is filled with tech guys from the different companies, as well as coaches and entourages. Being inside the ropes is starting to feel kinda special. It got a little extra special when YE Yang showed up. He just plopped himself right in the middle of the jam packed range and started in with practice. Tomorrow is practice round day 2. Sam and I are getting there early to beat the crowds and the heat. The plans is to have Bio meet us on the back. Round 1 has us teeing off at the typical rookie 12:15 off the back tee time www.oneasia.asia http://oneasia.asia/schedule/2014-season.html# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Leaney

[Ben]

[Monte the Bear]

Steve Leaney is a top guy. Good luck, looper!

[David in FL]

Hey Ben, it's GREAT to hear from you!

Tell Sam he has an instant, new following.  Please keep us up to date with the new gig like you did during your playing days.........and oh yeah, stay off the damn bike!

[Valleygolfer]

Nice congrats Ben!

[newtogolf]

Happy for both of you, hope you find time to post updates on what life is like on the Tour.

[Rick Martin]

Would really enjoying reading more about caddy life - on and off the course.   Do you ever get a chance to play anywhere during your travels? What are the hardest things about being a caddy? etc etc......hope you post more.

[Ben]

Nah. I don't get to play at all. Don't really need to lug my clubs around the world. Hardest thing... This freakin staff bag! Wait no, this freaking bag plus 85* heat with 85+% of humidity.

[Ernest Jones]

Wow, that's very cool Ben. Definitely keep us updated.

[SteveBamford]

Great to have such a close inside view of life on a Tour. Keep the updates going for sure.

[Ben]

Wednesday and Day 2 for practice rounds. In pictures. Got to play with Bio on the back 9.

[David in FL]

How's your man hitting 'em?

[Rick Martin]

[clutchshot]

Good luck today guys, I will be following this all the way.

[snapfade]

The pics make me miss living in Asia. I loved the female caddies which are the norm in Asia. Good luck to you and Sam!!!

[colin007]

if i was a tour player, i would do two things-

1) have my caddy use a push cart for all practice rounds.

2) find the lightest stand bag i could find that still has decent storage.  why make it more difficult for your caddy?

[iacas]

if i was a tour player, i would do two things-

1) have my caddy use a push cart for all practice rounds.

2) find the lightest stand bag i could find that still has decent storage.  why make it more difficult for your caddy?

Carrying a tour bag is not that difficult. Fluff and other caddies are old and manage to do it.

You'd both be a joke if you had a push cart during practice rounds, c'mon.

[Rick Martin]

The pics make me miss living in Asia. I loved the female caddies which are the norm in Asia. Good luck to you and Sam!!!

How much do you tip them, and is a happy ending included or extra?