The player hits the shots, while the caddie acts as bag carrier, informant, motivator and a heck of a lot more . . . and Brooks Koepka credited his long-time bagman Ricky Elliott as a vital member of his team after a fifth Major win in capturing the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club.
Elliott, from Portrush in Co Antrim, has now (with five) become the most successful Irish caddie in the Majors, sneaking ahead of JP Fitzgerald.
A former US collegiate golfer who once entertained his own hopes of playing professionally until switching to caddie – the hook up with Koepka arranged by his friend Graeme McDowell – Elliott showed important caddying guidance in talking Koepka out of an aggressive play on the 17th hole of Sunday’s final round, getting him to take his medicine and play back to the fairway from heavy rough to rule out running up any big numbers.
It was Elliott who Koepka got to accompany him for 2½ weeks in Los Angeles when he underwent career-saving knee surgery.
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“I don’t know if he gets enough credit for being as good of a caddie as he is. Caddying is a lot about reading the people, reading your player, knowing what they are going to do before they even do it and kind of sense the moment of what to say, what not to say. Honestly, I’ve thought he’s one of the best for a long time, and I don’t think he gets enough credit, maybe even from me,” said Koepka.
Club pro Block happily living the dream
Michael Block’s hole-in-one may have provided the dramatic highlight of his performance in the US PGA but the fringe dividends were many. Apart from a pay-day of $288,333 for his tied-15th place finish, the Californian club professional also earned a ticket straight to next year’s championship in Valhalla.
And, for good measure, Block’s sudden rise to fame has given him sponsor’s invitations to this week’s Charles Schwab Championship in Colonial and also the Canadian Open in a fortnight’s time.
“I’m living a dream. I’m making sure that I enjoy this moment. I’ve learned that after 46 years of life, it’s not going to get better than this. There is no way,” said Block.
Word of Mouth
“I am just so grateful, I thank God for this victory because it puts my name on the map. This win will be life- and game-changing for me” – Zimbabwe’s Robson Chinhoi proving it’s not always all about the Majors. Chinhoi won the Zambian Open in Lusaka, for a breakthrough win on the Sunshine Tour.
“I want to win the Ryder Cup. I don’t care about tours or anything like that. I want to win the Ryder Cup. It’s something we talked about [after Whistling Straits]. We want to beat those guys in Europe. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat them. Whoever the best 12 guys that make a complete team, it’s different than individual tournaments. We want a team of guys that are going over there together to bring the Cup back home, and that’s all I really care about,” – world number one Scottie Scheffler spelling it out that he wants the strongest US team for Rome, including those playing on LIV.
By the Numbers: 2 & 1
There are two Irish players in the field for the KLM Open in the Netherlands on the DP World Tour this week: Tom McKibbin and John Murphy.
Leona Maguire is the lone Irish player in the field for the Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play Championship in Las Vegas.
Twitter Twaddle
– Justin Thomas tipping the cap to his successor as PGA Champion.
– Phil Mickelson is full of praise for the week in upstate New York.
– Greg Norman giving his tuppence worth.
On this day: May 23rd May, 1999
Olin Browne won the Colonial in Fort Worth but even he conceded that his second career win on the PGA Tour came about because others basically lost it.
A final round 66 for a total of eight-under-par 272 was sufficient to give Browne a one-stroke winning margin over a bunched runner-up group of five players that featured Fred Funk, Paul Goydos, Tim Herron, Greg Kraft and Jeff Sluman.
It was only when Browne inadvertently saw his name in a share of the lead on the scoreboard by the 16th that he realised he was in the mix. Yet, even after he got up and down from a greenside bunker to save par on the 18th, Browne believed he would fall short of the mark and, at best, could make a playoff which is why he headed for the putting green.
“All of a sudden, everybody else messed up,” recalled Browne who earned a $504,000 pay-day. “All of a sudden, I’m wearing a plaid jacket and I get my name on the Wall of Champions.”
With two eagles and only one mistake down the stretch, Browne closed the deal and joined players such as Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson as Colonial champions.
In the Bag: Brooks Koepka (US PGA Championship)
Driver: Srixon ZX5 LS Mk II (10.5 degrees)
3-wood: TaylorMade M2 Tour HL (16.5 degrees)
Irons: Nike Vapor Pro (3), Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-9)
Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack Raw (46 degrees), Cleveland RTX ZipCore Tour Rack (52, 56 and 60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron Teryllium TNP2
Ball: Srixon Z-Star Diamond
Know the Rules
Q: In stroke play, a player played from outside the teeing area, her ball coming to rest out of bounds. She corrects the mistake and plays another ball from within the correct zone of the teeing area. What is the decision?
A: Under Rule 6.1b, the player incurs a two-stroke penalty and her next stroke from the teeing area will be her third. The ball played from outside the teeing area was not in play, so the fact it came to rest out of bounds was irrelevant and the stroke did not count.
