9 caddie superstitions
By T.J. Auclair · May 24, 2019
We’re all creatures of habit. Many of us believe – reasonably or not – that if there’s any change to our routine, the result can be bad juju.
They’re all superstitions and we’re all guilty of succumbing to superstitions on a daily basis whether we realize it or not.
Superstitions in golf are especially rampant. It could be the color shirt a player wears on a Sunday (Tiger in red); the number ball a player will use; a special coin they’ll mark their ball with; a very specific way they want the cover on their putter (if you think you just throw that sucker on, you’d be wrong… at least with one player who shall remain nameless); which balls they hit last on the driving range before heading to the first tee; the way they mark their ball for identification… the list goes on and on.
RELATED: 23 of the best caddie one-liners | Unwritten rules of caddying
But what about caddies?
It turns out they have some serious superstitions, too, doing anything in their power (?) to ensure their player records as low a score as possible.
We asked a bunch of PGA Tour caddies to let us in on their respective superstitions. Here are our nine favorite answers:
“If I wear a brand-new hat or shirt and the first round worn it’s a shit score, it goes straight to Goodwill.” – Scott Sajtinac
“I’ll never wear a white hat. I start each round with five pencils, and as soon as a pencil has to write down a bogey, that pencil is OUT and a new one is in, because obviously it was the pencil’s fault.” – John Wood
“I always carry four new pencils and one extra pin sheet for every tournament round.” – Damian Lopez, caddie for Michael Thompson
“Never take the putter cover off or pull the putter out of the bag when your player is chipping or in a bunker around the green.” – Ryan Rue
“Play good? Take the same route to the course the next day. Play OK or bad? Change it up the next day. Having a bad stretch of holes? Change the pencil. Going good? Use the same pencil until it’s duller than a crayon.” – William Spencer
“Wear black on Sunday like Gary Player and Mike Weir.” – Mike Darby
“I carry a picture of Austyn Louise Halter in the bag. It has been in the bag since the beginning of the year. I promised to put it in there, and I don’t want to know what would happen if it was gone. Bad luck if it is lost!” – Terry “T” Walker
Editor’s note: If you’re unsure as to who Austyn Louise Halter is, we highly recommend you read this piece Walker penned himself about a very special young girl who was taken far too soon.
“I never take the top pin sheet from the pile. And I always carry three pencils in my bib from the starter’s tent, but never use any of them because I use mechanical pencils that I carry with me.” – Todd Montoya
“I don’t like it when my player uses high-numbered golf balls. I don’t ever want my player to have a 6, 7, or 8 on anything in or around the golf bag.” – Heath Holt
1. I only use balls with a 2 or a 3. 1s are too cliche, and 4 is a bogey on a par 3.
2. I only mark my ball with a 1974 half dollar, heads up, with the top of JFK’s head facing the hole.
3. I’ve used the SAME ball mark repair tool since 1996. I wouldn’t know how to play without it.
4. Left pocket? Tee. Right pocket? 2 short tees, 2 long tees, and my ball mark repair tool
I could go on and on.