Somewhere along the near 20-hour drive from New Brunswick, NJ to Springfield, MO, the magnitude of it all struck me. This week, I will be caddying for a professional golfer, in a professional event. Me, the kid who obsessively followed golf leaderboards online growing up - to the point of asking teachers to check scores in high school, and throwing parties based on how well certain players did.
The kid who lived golf and breathed golf growing up, making it a hobby that far exceeded any other passion, especially between the ages of about 13 and 16.
Wow.
When Kevin Johnson mentioned the possibility of caddying for him sometime this summer, at late June's tournament in southern Indiana, the idea didn't quite hit me. Maybe I didn't really think it could be true. After all, how could I possibly expect to really have the chance to do something that I have always dreamed of doing? The key word there being 'dreamed.' After reading plenty of books and articles about caddies and caddying, I always visualized the concept of helping a pro golfer in the heat of battle, debating club selection and reading greens.
As Rick Reilly says in his book 'Who's Your Caddy?', what other sport allows a non-participant to engage so closely in the action? None.
So when Johnson told me to e-mail him about caddying later in the summer, I was excited, but cautious not to get my hopes up. After all, who would give up his regular caddie for a week, for a college kid whose caddying experience is limited to helping a friend at small-scale local events?
Apparently Kevin Johnson. He quickly offered me the loop for this week's event in Springfield, and I couldn't believe it. The excitement quickly began, along with periods of nervousness when I worried about my lackluster green-reading skills. If I can't figure out the break on a 6-footer at my local par-3 course that I have played nearly a thousand times, how can I be expected to decipher green complexities at a professional-level course? With money at stake, to boot.
Then again, Johnson knows what he's getting himself into. The veteran that he is, he can't be expecting me to burst on the bag with all the answers. Caddying seems like a thing that takes experience to master - developing keen instincts and a special knowledge of how to figure out courses. I can take comfort in my inexperience, but without settling for mediocrity. I'll do my best, knowing that's all I can do.
Another thing I have going for me? After playing so much golf through the years, I have a solid knowledge of the game - even though I can't really play it that well. Despite an inconsistent swing that produces a wide variety of inefficient shots, I can score fairly well based on my feel for the game - probably acquired when I played multiple rounds a day when I was 14 and 15. Maybe that feel will translate well into a professional caddying role, helping Johnson decide how to play certain shots.
Then again, maybe he won't ask for any help at all. And that would be just fine. Just the chance to be inside the ropes is more than I could ever ask for - as a student journalist working on a project, and as a golfer and golf fan.
Not to mention the chance to acknowledge and interact with the crowd. Attending tournaments growing up, I always vowed to enjoy the crowd if I ever had the chance to be inside the ropes. Now is my chance.
This week has been more than I could ever ask for. I had a great weekend with friends from school - celebrating my friend Ryan's 21st birthday in Atlantic City, and enjoying a mind-blowing (honestly) Coldplay concert at the Meadowlands with friends Jack and Jess. Although the excursion made the trek to Missouri even more of an endeavor, it was well worth it.
This summer has been more than I could ever ask for. Traveling the country and covering golf tournaments, interacting with players and working in media rooms around the country, has been great. Along with the chance to cover Triple-A baseball for the Buffalo Bisons website. And the chance to go to six Dave Matthews concerts, enjoy a weekend in New York City, spend time at a friend's cabin in the Adirondacks, go to Cedar Point, visit family in South Carolina...It goes on and on, like a three-month journey of a dream.
This year has been more than I could ever ask for, starting with my four-month European journey abroad that began last August. Seeing Ireland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Spain, Italy, Wales, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands - along with four months of living in an excitement-filled 9-kid apartment in central London? How could I ever top that?
When I made the golfer's pilgrimage to St. Andrews last November while I was abroad, sinking a 4-footer for par on 18 to shoot 89, I didn't know how the experience could ever be topped. Especially within a year, no less. But the chance to caddy in a professional event may just do the trick.
A year ago today, my life was on a rather stalled track. Although I was doing well in school and enjoying it, I wasn't progressing much toward my goal of being a sportswriter, and I felt that maybe I was missing something in my idea of the college experience.
Fast forward a year - everything's different, and I keep needing to pinch myself to make sure it's all true. Going abroad rejuvenated me in so many different facets - it allowed me to make a ton of new great friends at Syracuse, it gave me a unique experience that I will never again have the chance to get, and it helped me grow up in a few necessary ways.
But maybe most importantly? It opened my eyes to the world, making me realize how much opportunity is out there, if only you search for it and pursue it. Abroad, I tried to take every opportunity to see as much of the world as I could, and I am satisfied knowing I saw and did as much as I possibly could. My goal was to fully experience London, fully experience the UK, and fully experience Europe. I gave it a run.
So I returned to America with a fresh perspective, ready to experience more of life than I previously had. I also came back ready to make a renewed push at a journalism career. I put more time and energy into the school paper, The Daily Orange, writing far more consistently than I had before. I dedicated a lot of time applying to internships, getting a few offers and taking one with the Bisons, where I could fine-tune my reporting craft while staying at home.
But the one thing I did, that I can say with 100% confidence that I wouldn't have done if not for going abroad? I pursued my dream of spending a summer covering pro golf. I worked through a chain of connections (very gracious and thankful for all the help I received along the way) to get in contact with the Web.com Tour communications staff, where Tour communications director Jeff Adams was kind enough to help me immensely.
From there, my summer project was set up. I was given full media access for different events across the country throughout the course of the summer, giving me the chance to meet players and learn their stories.
Which led to meeting Kevin Johnson, who extended the incredible offer to caddy this week. In about an hour and a half, I will meet him at Highland Springs CC to begin preparation for the week's event.
Dream come true.
Life is so complex, and we need to appreciate the special chances and opportunities when they arise, as they may well never come again. In all likelihood, this is my only chance to spend a week inside the ropes at a pro golf event (one week more than I could have ever hoped). I fully intend to enjoy it to the fullest extent, while working hard to give my boss (KJ) the best chance to have a good week.
Not completely sure what's in store, which makes for a few nerves right about now. Then again, that's what makes it exciting.
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