I'm A Caddy

[clutchshot]

You know I heard somewhere the best player to ever play the game (jack or tiger) still lost 80% of the time, don't get discouraged, this game is impossible to master and has its ups and downs.

[Ben]

Yeah thanks. He Took it really hard yesterday. But as Stephen Leaney said in out practice round, this is one event of what will hopefully be a 30 year career. The events are about a month apart on this tour. Next is a pretty big one. The Volvo China Open.

[David in FL]

@Ben , I'm curious.

I hope this isn't off topic, but how about some insight?  We get a lot of threads and comments about the ability of Tour Pros (especially PGA) relative to the average "good golfer".  You know the threads......"I'm a 6 hcp but think that if I work hard, I can make the show".....

You played a lot of pro mini-tours and are a VERY good golfer in your own right.....playing off what, +1 or +2ish?   Sam just had a poor showing in his first event on the OneAsia Tour.  A serious tour, but still not the European or PGA Tour either.  I don't want to put you in a tough spot with your player, so if you don't want to go there I understand, but can you give some insight as to how his game compares to your own?  I think it might be a little eye opening and serve as an interesting point of reference in terms of how good you really have to be to play at a serious professional level.....

[colin007]

@Ben , I'm curious. I hope this isn't off topic, but how about some insight?  We get a lot of threads and comments about the ability of Tour Pros (especially PGA) relative to the average "good golfer".  You know the threads......"I'm a 6 hcp but think that if I work hard, I can make the show"..... You played a lot of pro mini-tours and are a VERY good golfer in your own right.....playing off what, +1 or +2ish?   Sam just had a poor showing in his first event on the OneAsia Tour.  A serious tour, but still not the European or PGA Tour either.  I don't want to put you in a tough spot with your player, so if you don't want to go there I understand, but can you give some insight as to how his game compares to your own?  I think it might be a little eye opening and serve as an interesting point of reference in terms of how good you really have to be to play at a serious professional level.....

Hearing that there's a bigger gap between a scratch and a tour pro than there is between a 10 and a scratch is hard to swallow but if anyone would know it'd be Ben.

[Ben]

I think I can answer that. I did get pretty good. At my peak I'd say I was playing to a +2.5. Which, is enough to play a tour, any tour, the problem is getting there. Sam literally had to win QSchool to get a full year of play on OneAsia. (66,69,66,74) Second and third place only got conditional status and maybe seven of the twelve available starts. The PGA Tour QSchool was so brutal because it was over four stages consisting of seventeen rounds. Slip up once and maybe you can recover. But slip up two rounds, and you're all but done. Now was you all may know PGA doesn't even offer a start straight to the big tour. QSchool gets you on the Web.com where you can fight it out for a season before maybe earning a spot to the big time. There is Monday Qulifying and trying to be that Cinderella story. It's very possible. But you've got to pick your spots. the SoCal spots are not the spot for a +2.5. There are so many people trying that route that there is pre-qualifying to get a spot into Monday qualifying. 100s of players playing for 4 spots. Sam shot 66 to get a Monday spot at Farmers. But didn't get passed that. Sam tells me a few weeks back in Texas 10 people got a spot and pre-qual took a score of over par to get to Monday. That's my type of spot. Back to the subject at hand. I honestly think a +2 could do it. So long as that player can keep a steady head. Sam's main coach is Pat Burke, who had spent some time on the PGA Tour. He says shoot -1 each nine holes of golf and you'll be able to have a solid career. Granted that won't win one many events. But think about that, -1 each nine is really all it takes. The main reason why it's me caddying for Sam and not a friend of mine caddying for me as we'll, is that I simply lost the fire. The mini-tours got bigger then what I could keep up with, which is great for the full-time players but I do have a job to keep and bills to pay, although they are quite minimal and I do work on a course to pay those bills. There is a dynamic at my club that doesn't allow me to take time off for my golf and also Sams golf. So I took the time to think which would be best and I chose Sam. Because he can and does treat this like a full time job, and I could see the future of his game and fully believe in his abilities. I am 38, only 38. I figure I've got 17 years of real golf ahead of me so who knows. Maybe my time is still yet to come.

[colin007]

So what would you say that Sam is playing off of?

[Ben]

So what would you say that Sam is playing off of?

Prolly +4

[David in FL]

. I am 38, only 38. I figure I've got 17 years of real golf ahead of me so who knows. Maybe my time is still yet to come.

Which takes you to 55. My age. Why doesn't that make me feel good? :~(

[MS256]

Great thread. Insight we don't often get (or at least I don't). Good luck!!!

[Ben]

Which takes you to 55. My age. Why doesn't that make me feel good? :~(

Hahahah let me expand. "Real golf" meaning golf at the highest level. Vijay peaked in his early 40s. Kenny Perry got a second wind in his mid 40s and Tom Watson made it all the way to his 60s I got a taste of golf beyond that when I played in my boot after breaking an ankle. Playing for pars was a lot more fun then I ever thought it would be.

[Yukari]

Hi Ben,

I really appreciate you taking time to post here to let us know what the life inside the ropes is like.

It is something most people will never find out or hear about, unless they are fortunate enough to know someone inside the ropes.

And I think you are providing that insight to all TST members.

I wish nothing but success to you and Sam.  Hopefully one day soon, we will hear about you guys more regularly in the PGA.

Thanks again for taking time out of your busy schedule to let us get a hint of what the life inside the rope is really like

[David in FL]

Hahahah let me expand. "Real golf" meaning golf at the highest level. Vijay peaked in his early 40s. Kenny Perry got a second wind in his mid 40s and Tom Watson made it all the way to his 60s I got a taste of golf beyond that when I played in my boot after breaking an ankle. Playing for pars was a lot more fun then I ever thought it would be.

Yeah, I know. I'm just bustin' your chops. The clock's ticking on my game too, just at a waaaay different level, and a lot faster. :~(

[Ben]

[sarcasm] Wanna know the best part(s) from start/week one on tour? Friday: Woke up with a sore throat, missed the cut, found out we can't change our 4/1 departure because all flights back to LA are full. Saturday: sore throat turns into full-on Death Cold. Sunday: have to change hotels to something cheaper/closer to the airport, cold just as bad. Although I did manage to get myself out of bed to take in a little bit of Jakarta an do a little souvenir shopping. Monday: check out in 1pm, flight is 10pm. Cold is a little better. What's ahead besides that time in the Soekarno Hatta Intl Airport? 7 hours to Seoul/Incheon Aiport, 7 hour layover, 10.5 hours to LA. And here I am, 8am on 4/1 In the KAL Prestige Lounge at Incheon INTL. The cold has turned into a brutally dry/sore throat cough attack every 30minutes or so. Saving graces. I've racked up 68K miles traveling around with Sam over the last year so I've got Korean Air Morning Calm status which gets me in the lounge, so I've got food and "drink!" on call. Incheon is an AWESOME airport. There are cute girls everywhere. And I've got a Xanax in my pocket waiting for the 10hour part of this journey! 검배

[Valleygolfer]

[sarcasm] Wanna know the best part(s) from start/week one on tour? Friday: Woke up with a sore throat, missed the cut, found out we can't change our 4/1 departure because all flights back to LA are full. Saturday: sore throat turns into full-on Death Cold. Sunday: have to change hotels to something cheaper/closer to the airport, cold just as bad. Although I did manage to get myself out of bed to take in a little bit of Jakarta an do a little souvenir shopping. Monday: check out in 1pm, flight is 10pm. Cold is a little better. What's ahead besides that time in the Soekarno Hatta Intl Airport? 7 hours to Seoul/Incheon Aiport, 7 hour layover, 10.5 hours to LA. And here I am, 8am on 4/1 In the KAL Prestige Lounge at Incheon INTL. The cold has turned into a brutally dry/sore throat cough attack every 30minutes or so. Saving graces. I've racked up 68K miles traveling around with Sam over the last year so I've got Korean Air Morning Calm status which gets me in the lounge, so I've got food and "drink!" on call. Incheon is an AWESOME airport. There are cute girls everywhere. And I've got a Xanax in my pocket waiting for the 10hour part of this journey! 검배

I got the death cold too... Horrible. Haven't felt this lousy in years... Going on day 6...

[colin007]

There are cute girls everywhere. And I've got a Xanax in my pocket waiting for the 10hour part of this journey! 검배

Nice! Any way to combine the two? Reminds me of the chorus from A Perfect Circle - Orestes - "...one more medicated peaceful moment..."

[snapfade]

Oh man Seoul, my home from 2004-2010. I can see it now. Cuties everywhere. I was told be a larger Canadian lady that I really didn't want to go out with, that I had "yellow fever". Hey Ben, thanks for all the inside info, I wish you and Sam all the best. If he can play his way into the Tour Championship here in Atlanta, I got free room and board for you. Good luck!

[Gunther]

Awesome stuff, just now stumbled upon this thread. I'm a new Sam Yi fan. Can't wait til next month's tournament.

[clutchshot]

Update? One of my fav threads right now...