By Joel Beall
The PGA Tour resumes its season Monday at Colonial in Fort Worth, confident it can conduct proceedings in a safe manner while serving as a role model for other sports’ returns. The players are cautiously optimistic in that promise. But what about the caddies?

After all, the role of the modern tour caddie is far from its “show up, keep up and shut up” adage. Caddies are a sounding board, coach, psychiatrist, teammate and friend. It’s an evolution that has given the profession a more respected voice in the game.

Conversely, there’s still a pecking order in the game’s hierarchy. And when it came to the Tour’s restart, many of the caddies were left in the dark on the protocols and restrictions, getting updates not from the Tour but their players and golf publications. It was only two weeks ago that the Tour held a call with caddies to go through the new rules of engagement.

Still, their response to the Tour’s planned restart is universal.

“I have not talked to one caddie who isn’t pumped about getting back,” said Paul Tesori, who caddies for Webb Simpson. Adds Brennan Little, who’s on Gary Woodland’s bag: “Even with the uncertainty, I think there’s a lot of excitement.”

It is an eagerness fueled by a myriad of factors. As Aaron Fleener points out, caddies by their nature are not prone to idleness. “It’s good to get a vacation, but with our work ethics, lying around ain’t our thing,” says Fleener, who teams up with J.T. Poston. “We love what we do, being around the guys, and want to get back to doing it.”

“We are used to a certain lifestyle, being on the road, guys are itching to return,” Tesori says. “There are only so many puzzles you can do, you know?”

David Cannon
Brennan Little, who caddies for Gary Woodland, said there’s a lot of excitement about the PGA Tour’s return to play.

There are financial implications. PGA Tour caddies aren’t sleeping six to a room like the days of yesteryear; most do OK money-wise. “I’m more worried about [the caddies] on the Korn Ferry Tour,” Fleener says. “Things were tight already down there.” Yet, as Tesori, who’s enjoyed a prosperous run with Simpson and, before that, Vijay Singh, notes, “We haven’t had a paycheck in three months. Don’t care what your line of work, that does a number on the bank account.”

Additionally, that zeal is sparked by the unspoken worry that comes with the profession, pandemic or not: If you’re at home while your man’s having success, well, dust off the resume.

Speaking of which, every week on tour there are a handful of players making caddie switches, many times without a long-term replacement in mind, creating temporary positions with big-time potential. Those opportunities will still exist, either by firing or if a caddie tests COVID-19 positive. However, given the travel and bubble restrictions, free-agent caddies can no longer swarm a host site in their traditional manner, which could lead to house or local caddies getting the call.

Case in point: Taylor Ford left caddying over the winter to become a consultant. However, he lives in Dublin, Ohio, which will host back-to-back Tour events at Muirfield Village in July. Though he only plans to get back into caddying full-time for the right player, he’s going to be on standby when the tour arrives.

“I have a COVID test kit ready in case,” Ford says. “Never know what would happen with travel, especially for the international guys, or if someone tests positive.”

Most of the caddies don’t bat an eye regarding the risks, be it through travel or at the tournament. But they do acknowledge the uncertainty ahead, and how that will change their responsibilities.

“The Tour is adamant that we adhere to the safety procedures,” Tesori says. “Are we going to be six feet apart every single moment? No, but we’re going to try.” Tesori says he and Simpsons already had a long chat on how to go about their strategy with the restrictions in place. “Reading the greens is going to be a big difference,” Tesori says. “I’m usually a foot away from Webb. But everyone is making changes on the fly.”

“There’s no high-fiving, nothing like that,” Fleener says. “How are we supposed to celebrate, tap feet? And it’s going to be weird when someone wins and there’s no fans around. It’s hard to picture that; it’s an adjustment.”

Their business won’t be the only thing in need of fine-tuning. Most of the caddies have been keeping busy with house improvements and getting out to play a few times a week. Little has been fishing. But they haven’t been doing their usual cardio, and, well …

“I think I’ve put on 13 pounds since the Players,” Tesori says. “It’s going to be 97 degrees that first week back in Texas. And I know I’m not the only body that’s out of shape.”

Still, the caddies know what’s at stake in golf’s resumption. And they’re determined to do their part, to not drop the ball. Er, bag.

“Whatever it takes just to get going,” Fleener says. “Fans want a product to watch. A lot of eyes will be on us. We’re going to make sure we don’t screw it up.”

The post What do caddies think about the PGA Tour’s return? appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker
It has been quite a week for Gary Woodland, from winning his first career major on Sunday at the U.S. Open, to a whirlwind media blitz that included a very cool visit with the inspirational Amy Bockerstette.

Woodland’s caddie Brennan Little, meanwhile, isn’t doing too bad, either. He took home a nice percentage from the record winner’s paycheck of $2.25 million and it was the veteran looper’s second time being on the bag of a major winner.

The previous triumph was in 2003 when his fellow Canadian, Mike Weir, won the Masters. While Weir handled various obligations immediately following the victory, Little said he went back out on the golf course and played the first hole at Augusta National in the dark—using Weir’s lefty sticks.

“This celebration was a little different,” laughed Little, who was on the bag for eight of Weir’s career wins, two of Woodland’s and has also caddied for Sean O’Hair and Camilo Villegas in a career that began in 1999.

Instead of sneaking out to take a few shots on Pebble’s 18th hole, though, Little chilled out in the Tap Room, the Pebble Beach Resort’s famed haunt, along with Woodland and a number of other players who stuck around, including Jordan Spieth. Little then caught a flight home from San Francisco on Monday night to make it to Dallas in time for his 9-year-old son’s Little League playoff game on Tuesday morning.

We spoke to the 49-year-old veteran caddie about Woodland’s best shot of the week, his chip from on the putting green at 17 and more.

Gary’s second shot at the par-5 14th on Sunday will go down in major championship lore. Take us through that discussion to go for it.
It was 260 to cover the front so it was either a 3-iron or a 3-wood, but you couldn’t bounce a 3-iron up there. And leaving it short wasn’t really a great option either because then he would have had 80 or 90 yards in and that’s not an easy shot there because the hole plays uphill. You can’t see the green really, and a wedge in that situation could easily spin back off the green. Missing right wouldn’t have been good. Long and left was OK, though. The way he played it was perfect, and it played out that way.

What about the wedge from on the putting green at 17?
He couldn’t putt it, really. If he hit it perfectly through the fringe, the best he could’ve done was maybe hit it to 10 feet. He actually had the same shot on Friday and did the same thing when the pin was back right, and he used to practice chipping from greens when he worked with Randy Smith. Let’s face it, though, it’s not an easy shot. If he hits it too hard it’s going to roll off the green and maybe into the rough because the hill slopes that way. But he clipped it perfectly.

RELATED: Pebble brings the best out in Woodland—and the U.S. Open

How would you describe your relationship with Gary?
It’s great because he’s easy to get along with. He has a low-key personality and doesn’t get riled up over much. We also have a lot of similar interests— sports mostly.

Big week for you then, with the Toronto Raptors winning their first NBA title. And you’re a St. Louis Blues fan, too?
Well, I’m a Dallas Stars fan. But my buddy [Doug Armstrong] is the GM for the Blues, so I was rooting for them. I’ve been getting a lot of crap about it from my friends, though. I’m not much of a basketball guy but was following the Raptors through the playoffs. That was fun.

What are you going to do with the flag? Have you spent any time with the trophy yet?
I’ll get it framed eventually. I do that with all the ones from the tournaments we’ve won. I’ve got a really nice display at home. The trophy, I got to spend time with it on Sunday night a little bit, and I’m sure I’ll get to bring it here at some point but I don’t know how much I’ll drink from it. I’m getting a little old for all of that.

The post Caddie Brennan Little celebrates his second major win, only this time he skipped sneaking out to play the course appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.