Latest LPGA winner Madelene Sagstrom had boyfriend’s dad filling in as caddie
By T.J. Auclair · January 27, 2020
What a week it was for Madelene Sagstrom at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio.
That’s where the Swede – who played in the 2017 Solheim Cup – collected her first career LPGA win… and with a fill-in caddie on the bag, no less.
Sagstrom’s regular caddie David Buhai, husband of LPGA player Ashleigh Buhai, was unavailable as he was in South Africa helping family move.
WATCH: Veteran LPGA caddies offer up advice to incoming rookie players
Filling in was Sagstrom’s boyfriend Jack Clarke’s father, Alan. Jack caddies for Caroline Hedwall; he wasn’t able to help Sagstrom himself. So, Sagstrom enlisted the help of 68-year-old Alan and boy did it pay off.
Sagstrom holed an 8-footer for par on the final hole of the tournament and avoided a playoff when Nasa Hotaoka three-putted for bogey. A three-time winner on the Symetra Tour in 2016, this was Sagstrom’s maiden LPGA win in her 69th start.
Alan, retired from a career in data communications, was responsible for checking Sagstrom’s math on yardages and just keeping her loose throughout the week. Sagstrom read all her own putts.
Following the win, the 27-year-old Sagstrom told Golfweek.com that she was proud of Alan for fighting through fatigue the first couple of days. Hey, no one said hoofing those big bags around was easy.
As for Sagstrom’s connection with Jack Clarke, that started two years ago at the UL International Crown, according to Golfweek, and the pair have been dating for 18 months.
While the win was tremendous, don’t expect to see Alan Clarke on the bag again for Sagstrom anytime soon. Golfweek reports that he abruptly retired from caddying moments after the win – and who could blame him? Not many loopers can claim a 1-for-1 record in the professional ranks.
“You couldn’t write it,” Jack Clarke, smiling, told Golfweek.
