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Champion Caddie of the Year, and praising Caddie Network’s secret genius

By Luke Kerr-Dineen · July 23, 2018
Long before he was the Open Champion, Francesco Molinari (middle) caddied for brother Edoardo Molinari in the 2006 Masters. Edoardo was the reigning U.S. Amateur Champion and was paired with Tiger Woods — Francesco’s playing partner at Carnoustie on Sunday. Credit: @dylan_dethier tweet

What a Sunday. What a tournament! One of the best major Sundays for a while, and certainly among the most entertaining British Opens in recent memory. The players, of course, stole the headlines. Tiger Woods grabbing the the lead for a fleeting moment; Rory McIlroy making a late run at the trophy; and Francesco Molinari ultimately lifting the Claret Jug with his metronomic display throughout the weekend.

But it wasn’t just the players and fans who got in on the fun. It was a particularly spectacular week for the caddies, too. Lots of memorable moments; let’s take a look at a few…

Francesco Molinari… caddie?

Turns out, the Masters caddie circuit can be a great talent factory for future British Open champions — at least in Molinari’s case. Twelve years before Molinari stared Tiger in the face and bettered the crowd favorite with a cold-blooded display from tee-to-green, Francesco was on the bag for Edoardo Molinari during his 2006 Masters tournament, where he shot 80-77 as an amateur while playing with Tiger Woods. Pictures of the event got some heavy buzz after the event, and for good reason. If I’m Francesco, I’m framing these just below my Claret Jug.

Caddie 2, resident genius

Can we just take a moment to praise the mysterious genius otherwise known as Caddie #2? His five picks finished T-28, T-2, T-9, 1, T-2. Three players in the top two, and yet his identity remains a mystery! I’d be bragging about this for years. It’s like that scene in Good Will Hunting, where Matt Damon solves the equation on the wall then runs away before the professor discovers who he is. Thank you, sweet prince.

Just shy of a bird dance

Zach Johnson looked great at Carnoustie right before he promptly faded away, which is a shame. I’d have been totally ok to watch caddie Damon Green bird-flap his way to a second British Open victory in four years.

Kaymer’s lucky charm

That said, not every caddie’s bet turned out well this week. Martin Kaymer’s caddie, Craig Connelly, had a friendly wager with his caddie over whether his player could birdie the 18th hole during a practice round. Kaymer took the bet and enlisted the help of an “independent” caddie, Rhys, who watched the two-time major champ win the bet right in front of him. Let’s hope he gets a cut of the winnings…

The Hangover Part IV

Caddies jobs require juggling all kinds of things. On Sunday, Eddie Pepperell admitted after the round that he came into the round slightly hungover after a few too many drinks the night before.

Somehow, it seemed to work: Pepperell fired a final-round 67 to finish T-6. Fellow European Tour player Thomas Pieters praised his caddie, Mick Doran, for nursing him through the round. A new skill to add to the resume! And a valuable one, too.

Thanks, Dad

And finally, a nice moment from the British Open’s silver medal winner, Sam Locke. Locke had his father on the bag this week and, after his final round 78, thanked his dad for his support through the years in a heartfelt interview with the BBC.

Luke Kerr-Dineen

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