Make 2024 your greatest golf yr ever with:
Joe LaCava and Tiger Woods on the sweater-weather Masters in November 2020.
Getty Pictures
It wasn’t way back that individuals thought golfers weren’t athletes. Ditto the outdated notion that every one caddies are slackers, people who smoke and scofflaws. Get actual. The women and men in smocks in the present day are extra important to the professional sport than ever. Half stats nerd, half guru, half pack mule and therapist, a typical looper is each on the middle of the motion and a aspect participant. What follows this week (and within the Jan./Feb. pages of GOLF Journal) is a snapshot of the life — and a great deal of intel on your sport.
ICYMI: 9 essential lessons every caddie learns, according to a pro caddie
ICYMI: 10 things a pro caddie would tell you about YOUR game
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Joe LaCava is helping — as soon as once more. The person who’s caddied for many years, supporting a number of the sport’s best gamers, is raking leaves on the mid-November day once we’re supposed to speak. They’re not his leaves, in fact. He’s pitching in for a pal, as a result of that’s what one of many world’s greatest caddies can discover himself doing within the offseason: lending a hand and, in the present day a minimum of, leaping on the cellphone to speak about his inconceivable life as a looper.
Sean Zak: You’ve caddied for practically 40 years. The place did all of it start?
Joe LaCava: I come from Newtown, Connecticut. There weren’t many caddie applications. I had a lower-middle-class upbringing. My dad performed golf, and, often, I’d caddie for him or another person at a three-day member-guest or the membership championship. Perhaps two weekends out of the yr. I received my actual begin by my cousin [five-time Tour winner] Ken Inexperienced, in 1987. That’s the break I received out of faculty. It’s your blood who’s taking part in, so clearly you’ve received pores and skin within the sport. It was very thrilling, and I cherished it. However I by no means thought to myself, Boy, I’d like to do that for a profession. That was simply by no means a thought.
SZ: When did you understand you needed to do it full time?
JL: I got here out for 4 or 5 weeks on the West Coast simply to have some enjoyable and to see a part of the nation. I had by no means been on an airplane at 22 years outdated. The primary match was La Costa, and that second week we’re driving to Palm Springs and Ken asks me to do it full time. I didn’t even hesitate, that’s how a lot enjoyable I had within the first week. Rising up taking part in crew sports activities, it was the competitors and aggressive spirit that hooked me. On the time, at 22, did I believe I might nonetheless be doing it and speaking to you about it now, at age 59? Most likely not. However I used to be able to go. I didn’t have numerous obligations at residence. I used to be in from the beginning.
SZ: Most individuals don’t give a lot thought to what a caddie experiences, however you actually really feel such as you’re a part of one thing.
JL: There’s one thing about it. I’ve by no means hit a shot. I’ve by no means made a putt. However we’re all aggressive, and the juices are flowing like there’s no tomorrow. I don’t wish to say you’re doing greater than the coach on the sidelines or the supervisor in a dugout, however you might be on the sphere with the man. You’re having some say in what’s happening. We’re nearer to doing one thing good for our man. I don’t wish to overstate it, however that’s what will get the blood flowing. In case you give an excellent learn or your man makes a putt — man, you get fired up on the market.
G: You transitioned from Ken Inexperienced to carrying the bag for Fred {Couples}, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods and now Patrick Cantlay. What did you carry to the desk that made nice gamers belief you?
JL: After three years with Ken, I used to be fairly lucky to catch a break with Fred. Everybody within the sport loves Fred, in order that led to Tiger Woods. Working for large gamers and nice guys goes a great distance, extra so than the precise caddying talent, however I believe I’m midway respectable at studying greens. As a result of, once I play golf, if I couldn’t make putts I’d give up the sport. I don’t know if that was a compelled situation or not, however I all the time felt I had a knack for studying greens. After which, everybody says it, however I believe it applies to me: I completely hate dropping. You hate dropping greater than you want profitable. These two elements hold me going and hold me loving it.
SZ: What’s the perfect learn of your profession?
JL: One which stands out is the twelfth gap at TPC Sawgrass in ’13. Again, left-centerish pin. Tiger introduced me in for a learn and it broke three or 4 other ways. Tiger learn it the identical method. It did exactlynwhat we mentioned, went proper within the center at excellent pace, and he went on to win the match. It’s laborious to consider it was 10 or 11 years in the past now. To see the putt do precisely what we thought and go proper within the center was an unbelievable feeling. However then there’s the putt I didn’t learn.
SZ: Okay...
JL: Sixteenth gap at Augusta, 2019, when Tiger received. He hit it to, what, two and a half toes? He didn’t say something for the longest time. When it was his flip to putt, he goes, “Thoughts looking at this one?” It was very late within the sport for him to be asking me this. It occurred so fast and so final minute I mentioned, “Hear, professional. Knock this factor at the back of the opening.” I by no means went and skim it. And he teases me to this present day that I used to be afraid to learn a putt at Augusta on the seventieth gap en path to his fifth inexperienced jacket.
SZ: What’s one thing nobody would perceive about caddying for arguably the best participant who ever lived?
JL: What I discovered so fascinating about Tiger was how low upkeep he’s. He doesn’t want lots, however he likes numerous info. He likes to decipher that info. He likes to consider it. He’s 24-7 interested by golf, the swing, and many others. I used to be getting texts at 2 or 3 within the morning a couple of sure gap having a unique wind the following day. Perhaps it’s a 3-wood as an alternative of a driver. I’m additionally not an excellent sleeper, so I might often textual content again and say, “I agree with you, however I’d fairly you flip the cellphone off, fall asleep and get some relaxation.” The opposite factor that separates Tiger is he takes possession of all the pieces on the golf course. He’s not on the lookout for anybody or something to blame. I labored most likely 110 tournaments with him, and by no means as soon as did he come again and say “Dangerous learn” or “The wind wasn’t there” or “Dangerous membership.” He takes possession of all the pieces he does, which is unbelievable to me.
SZ: The transition from one bag to a different — what’s troublesome about it?
JL: Most player-caddie relationships aren’t in writing. Most of it’s verbal. After I went to work for Fred, he mentioned, “Let’s attempt 4 weeks on the West Coast and see the way it goes.” Hopefully he performs nicely. I received lucky he performed very nicely in all of them, occurred to win one. That makes life lots simpler, however the troublesome half is the unknown. You’re taking an opportunity. You must hope you mix nicely. I believe the caddie a part of it’s truly fairly straightforward. It’s the truth that you need to get together with a man for wherever from 5 to eight or 9 hours a day, seven days every week, possibly for 28 straight days. That’s a very long time. You higher be capable of get alongside and have issues in widespread to speak about, and you’ve got to have the ability to have a little bit enjoyable too.
SZ: In what method can a caddie elevate an excellent participant into a terrific participant?
JL: Typically the participant would possibly lack a little bit little bit of confidence. An ideal instance: I see Joe Greiner doing a terrific job for Max Homa. And Austin Kaiser — I name him “Huge Cash” — does the identical for Xander Schauffele. They’re very assured not solely of their means however of their participant’s means, and I believe that rubs off on these guys and offers them extra confidence. Have they gotten to the following stage but? Most likely not. However I believe they each will. And I believe their caddies could have lots to do with that. When you’ve gotten a pal on the bag, I believe that goes a great distance on the golf course. That occurred with Fred and me. I’m not the explanation he received the Masters or the Gamers or had an excellent profession. We received alongside nicely, and he knew I’d do something for him. I believe I took the close to misses and the losses more durable than he did. I believe Tiger’s the identical method. They see that in you, and I believe they recognize that.
Zak is a author at GOLF Journal, presently engaged on a e book concerning the summer season he spent in St. Andrews. You possibly can read about those travels here and catch his newest ideas on the Drop Zone Podcast:
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