SHANE BACON IS BACK at the keyboard after spending last week caddying for LPGA Tour player Erica Blasberg at the J Golf Phoenix LPGA International. Shane is a self-described golf freak (at least I think I read that), which qualifies him as a close golf pal of yours truly.
Shane has played competitive golf, and even “went pro” a couple of summers ago on the Gateway Tour. He carded a 68 in his first round. (And he played all 18.) So, I think a little Shane worship is in order.
Yet last week was his first time inside the ropes looping for a tour pro. “I am not a professional caddie,” Shane wrote at Golf Fanhouse, “and that was apparent.”
His Caddie Tales are a great read. I especially liked his concluding remarks:
I’m a blogger. I write snippets because I’m asked to write them. They may or may not have a purpose and they are published so quickly you don’t have time to pull them. The bottom line is, Michelle Wie is a 19-year-old girl that still smiles, and laughs and tries to make 10-footers just like we all do. She didn’t choose this life, talent did, and she is saddled with fans, expectations and a big, leather Sony bag.
Maybe I learned a simple thing this week that I haven’t ever grasped – they might be professionals, but they are just normal people doing a trade they were gifted enough to do. Being hard on them for no reason is ridiculous. It’s golf. Birdies, bogeys, pars and handshakes. Hopefully the knowledge I gained this week will remain with me as I spend the next few months writing about this lovely game.
–The Armchair Golfer
Related:
What Not to Say While Caddying for Erica Blasberg
Excellent comment…this young man appears to have his act together.
When working at a prestigious golf course as a teenager i met a lot of pro hockey players and other celebrities. I was always surprised at how normal and sometimes insecure they feel!
It was neat to cheer a player on the night before, and then the next day watch him shank a golf ball into the woods!
I also just recently learned that Shane went out and fired a 62! He said he thought that was his personal best.