Bret Lasky, Media Coordinator Epson Tour, will be sharing his adventures throughout the season from his typical day in the mobile office (his traveling office) to his on the course experiences. If you, the fans, have a question, topic or something you'd like Bret to cover while traveling on the Road to the LPGA, just e-mail us at Epson Tour.

Lasky Tries on a Caddie Bib This Week

May 17, 2014

I met Tracy on the driving range today at 12:00 p.m. She hit some irons, warmed up with the woods and then hit a few drivers. We walked up the steep hill towards the 10^th tee box and Tracy went to the bathroom. She’s probably going to kill me for telling this story, but she signed up for this behind-the-scenes experience, right?

Long story short, she comes back from the restroom and no longer has her golf glove. It fell in the toilet – I didn’t ask for details. Luckily we had plenty of time, so Tracy ran (I offered, I promise) to her car and got another golve.

So, I guess the day didn’t start off with a bang.

However, it didn’t take long for her to turn it around. She made two birdies on her front nine and one birdie early on the back nine. She did make a few bogeys coming in, but it was a 15 stroke turnaround from Friday to Saturday.

I was walking with Tracy to her car with her bag and she told me that on her final hole yesterday, she found a hitch in her swing and she was able to iron it out. It made all the difference. I’m learning more and more that golf is just a fickle game.

I was pumped for Tracy. She struggled yesterday and just completely made a 360 degree turnaround today. Sara Brown (one of her playing partners today) jokingly whispered to me at one point today something like what did you do to her yesterday!

I do want to admit, I did have one blunder today. I think it was the par-5 second hole. Tracy made birdie and as she was walking towards me to hand me the putter I think I just said “nice putt”. Here is the issue though; I forgot to give her a fist-pound. Caddie rule number one, when you’re player makes a birdie, eagle or hole-in-one, you respond with something more than “nice putt”. Common Bret, get it together.

Tracy said something like what happened to my fist pound? I agree, completely my fault.

Other than that, I think I had a good day on the course.

Tracy is a caddies dream because she hits the ball in every fairway, she never hits the ball in the bunker (seriously, two days and I didn’t rake one bunker) and if she comes up short of the green she’s still a straight line to the pin. In all seriousness, I was looking forward to at least raking one bunker.

One thing I’m really thankful for is that it didn’t start raining. With about five holes to play, a steady (but light) rain started to fall and I nervously took Tracy’s umbrella out of her bag. All day I was saying my prayers that it didn’t rain. Not because I cared about getting wet, but I had no idea what the protocol for caddies was during rain.

Anyway, she hit a chip shot onto the green and during the putter-iron exchange I was awkwardly balancing the umbrella. She held the umbrella and then flipped me her ball to clean off the dirt. Then, she handed back the umbrella to prepare for her putt and as she did the light rain subsided. You don’t even understand how relieved I was. I could see dealing with a hard rain can be tough for a caddie, just as much as a player.

The pairing today with Amy Simanton and Sara Brown was fun. For the first 10-12 holes, the players talked from time-to-time but not a great deal. Then, on the par-3 fourth hole (remember Tracy started on the back nine), Amy asked Sara what she’s had to eat while in town. From that point forward we all talked about dieting, health, Epson Tour travel, colleges, twitter, US open qualifying, crazy bridge stories, hometowns and probably a slew of other topics that I have since forgot.

Let me go on a tangent for a second and tell you about Sara, if you don’t mind. She’s great at creating a relaxing environment. I think it was the first hole. We were on the green and Sara tosses her ball to her caddie (David). He fumbles the catch and drops the ball on the green and Sara made some sort of joke about it. I’m sure it made David more comfortable and it made me laugh.

I guess while I have this forum, I want to tell you a little more about the Sara/David relationship. It’s funny that we were paired together because Sara told me about David a couple days ago.

Unfortunately, he was recently diagnosed with cancer. He is 21-years-old. The only reason I know he has cancer is because Sara told me. David’s best friend’s mom met Sara last year and David was a big fan of Sara’s from her Big Break days. So, David asked if he could caddie and Sara was happy to give him the opportunity.

I talked to David a few times during the round, but it was simply great to watch the two of them interact the entire round. They were always laughing and smiling together.

Thanks for making David smile, Sara. You’re a very good person!

Switching gears, here is something I learned today that I probably should have already been aware of. Female golfers (or maybe male golfers as well) are very aware of where the on-course restrooms are located. The reason I know they are very aware is because after walking the course for two days I couldn’t tell you where one on-course bathroom is located – not one (except for seven and here is why). There was one hole today – the monster par-5 (605 YARDS!) seventh hole where all three players went to the bathroom after they hit their approach shots. On the tee box, they were all telling stories of times in their careers that they had to use the bathroom and there weren’t any located near the holes they were on or heading towards. To the organizers of Epson Tour events (my bosses), please make sure there are bathrooms situated evenly throughout the course.

To circle back to the beginning of the day, I was happy to learn that some people have been reading this blog. Tracy and I ran into Elena Robles on the driving range and she made a comment like look at this dream team or something like that. Then, her caddie turned to me and said oh you’re the person writing the blog. I think he said he’s enjoyed it. He was probably just saying that to make me feel good.

I also ran into Fiona (who Tracy was partnered with yesterday) and she said she read the blog last night. I apologized to her caddie for forgetting his name on the blog – it’s Rick.

So, what did I learn about being a caddie. I learned that a non-golfer can be a caddie. I always had the impression (for whatever reason) that only a golfer (high school, college or professional experience) could do the job. Don’t take the last sentence to mean that I could be Tracy’s full-time caddie and be great. I would need a lot of training and I would need to dedicate a lot of time to the craft. However, I think a non-golfer like myself could do the job (again, with the proper time and training).

From what I observed, the biggest things Tracy would need from a professional caddie are yardages and reads on greens. No playing experience is necessary for that. I’m sure some might argue with my claim, but I’m standing by it until I hear a good counter.

I also learned that golfers, competing against one another, are very cordial. I feel like I’d cheer internally for every shot my playing partners hit to drift into a hazard. Maybe that is just me, but both pairings seemed genuinely interested in each other’s success. Every time someone hit a good drive, approach shot or putt, the other players said “yes” or “good” or “nice putt”.

The whole experience just made me realize that these women are really good at golf. I think before I just knew that based on the scores that I followed online.

Great experience, I owe Tracy a big thank you.

I told Tracy when we were chatting by the car that I’d do this every week if they let me.

Mike Nichols – what do you think?

May 16, 2014

When Tracy Stanford stood over a birdie putt on her final hole and drilled it, I wanted to fist pump, do some sort of caddie dance and scream, but it just didn’t seem appropriate at the time.

Yes, I was rooting for Tracy. How could you not as a caddie? You really do become attached to each swing, each putt and the result on each hole. I really didn’t think I would, but as soon as Tracy got her round going on the 10^th hole I became her biggest cheerleader.

When I walked onto the Epson Tour mobile office after we were done, I had the look of a defeated soldier. I didn’t do anything wrong – in fact Tracy told me I did a good job – but I knew she wasn’t happy with her day. Ask Erin Gasbarro or Kathy Lawrence – they were witness to my disappointment.

You become an extension of your player as a caddie.

I just sat on a stool – gobbled down an oatmeal granola bar and looked at the ground for ten seconds.

I found it tough not being able to show how into I was. You can’t sigh when a putt burns the edge of the hole or scream in joy when she knocks in a birdie putt.

It’s literally a fist bump, a smile and a “good putt”. Then you pick up the bag and get yourself in position for the next hole.

I simply had a blast, definitely the highlight of my 90-days as an LPGA employee. I mean that in the most respectful manner towards my bosses, but I had the opportunity to stand right next to three professional golfers (Fiona Puyo and Courtney Harter were in Tracy’s group) and watch them play for over four hours.

When the round was done, I realized how impressed I was with the way Tracy acted on the course. She had one of those days that athletes want to forget (+14), but you could hardly tell if you watched her play. She never once made things uncomfortable between us because of the struggles. For that, I’m appreciative. She could have pouted, she could have complained, she could have been cold to me, but she wasn’t. Who knows, maybe she just felt bad for me so she took it easy on me.

After the round she told me something like golf is a fickle sport, some days the putter is working and sometimes it’s not. I forget what hole it was but after a 3-putt Tracy told me that she was going to “bench her putter”.

I didn’t find carrying her bag – even with the severe hills on the front nine – that hard. I thought I would find that part a little harder. My legs, thighs and calf muscles may have something to say about that when I get back to the hotel.

I feel like my biggest responsibility today was making sure her ball was clean and dry. After almost every shot she took, she would put a tee into the ground to mark the spot and then I would clean the ball. Yesterday, we had a lot of rain here in Asheville, so the ground was wet and therefore her ball was constantly muddy.

I wasn’t reading greens or giving her yardages so my biggest task was to just keep up with Tracy and make sure her ball was clean and dry.

This was interesting; at one point during the round our group got a pace of play warning from one of the rules officials Sue. We picked up the pace a little bit and quickly caught up to the group in front of us. Tracy didn’t seem concerned and neither did the other players. I think I was more concerned than the players – I know I tried to pick up my pace.

Another observation I had was that Tracy didn’t eat a ton on the course. She had a banana (which I almost crushed with two water bottles – she calmly scolded me for that) before she started in the morning and then had some mixed nuts on the front nine and some sort of granola bar on the back nine. Now that I think about it, I didn’t see Fiona or Courtney eat much either.

One of the challenging things about being a caddie is knowing when to talk and when to let the player reflect in silence. There were a few times when I wasn’t sure if I should chit-chat up the fairway with Tracy or if I should leave her be. Probably just comes with experience.

Fiona’s caddie (I forgot his name) was a big help. He’s been a caddie for 30 plus years he told me before the round and I sort of just followed his lead. I noticed where he put her bag around the green and how he tended the flag when necessary and so forth. Tracy also helped me with positioning of the bag around the green.

Oh, I made one other mistake according to Calle Nielson and Daniela Iacobelli. A note to all caddies, don’t put on your caddie bib until you get to the tee box. It’s apparently a rookie maneuver to put on your caddie bib at the driving range or the putting green while the player is warming up. I just was so eager to put the bib on that as soon as I got it, it went on. It’s a caddie no-no I guess.

Overall, the good news is that Tracy was pleased with how I did as a rookie caddie. I asked her after the round if I was still employed for day two and she said yes.

I realized my only goof an hour after the round was done when I got a text from Tracy saying that I left her personal bag on the volunteer cart. I quickly texted back and then ran down to the cart barn and retrieved it for her. I found her in the player eating area and I got it to her.

I got major brownie points for retrieving her stuff! It was all in the plan.

May 15, 2014

I’ve got my first assignment – 7:15 a.m. on the driving range to meet Tracy. She tees at 8:00 a.m. in the first-round of the Friends of Mission Charity Classic in Asheville, NC.

We talked for 30-minutes today and she explained what to do and what not to do. There is the obvious – don’t be in someone’s line of sight while they’re hitting and then the not-so-obvious of don’t hand me my putter unless you’re 100 percent sure that I’m on the green and putting.

Apparently that is a major no-no for caddies. It makes sense – how would you feel if you thought you were putting and then walked to the green and realized you had a tough chip on an uphill lie? Not so good, right?

She also told me that I’m automatically fired if I lose one of her head covers. She of course is half-joking, but probably half serious.

We went over the simple, but important things, at least for me. Do I “forecaddie” or walk with her down the fairway? For those that don’t know the difference, a “forecaddie” walks in front of his/her player to be at the ball well before the player.

Tracy told me that I don’t need to “forecaddie” – I can walk with her down the fairway.

I asked her if she is a talker or a quiet player – I’ve noticed that there is a wide range on this Tour. Sometimes you see players chit-chatting down the fairway and other times you see players very stoic and quiet.

Tracy said she is in-between – depends on the situation and how well she is playing.

We also talked about always setting the bag on her right, since she is a right-handed player. It’s not something I’ve thought a lot about since I’ve never been a caddie, but I’ve seen enough rounds now where it just wouldn’t make any sense to be on her left.

There are also a few rules – I can’t get in a cart for any reason and I can’t be in the bunker when she is in the bunker.

Some other things we discussed included keeping half the towel at least damp at all times, cleaning her ball after she marks it on the green and placing her bag off the green towards where the next hole would be.

I’m learning quickly that being a caddie is not as easy as it might seem to an outsider (and I’m not even doing yardages and greens). Even Tracy said that a lot of people think being a caddie is a simple job, but it really involves a lot of pre-planning and awareness.

The only thing I need to figure out now is what to wear. I have no shorts, I never wear hats and those are two things that I always see caddies wear. Plus, the temperature tomorrow morning is supposed to be a bit on the chilly side.

The other caveat is I have to go on local TV at 5:00 AM tomorrow to talk about the tournament.

I guess I need to get to the store and get some rest tonight!

May 14, 2014

It’s been an interesting last three months for me. I’ve spent 50 percent of my time in the Epson Tour mobile office, 45 percent of my time on golf courses spread across the country and the other five percent of my time in a car, airport or taxi cab. I’ve still yet to figure out how to properly pack for five straight weeks on the road, it’s just hard.

Truth be told, it never crossed my mind that my career would involve golf.

My reality revolved around being a Minor League Baseball broadcaster/graphic designer/PR guy and professional tarp puller.

I needed a new challenge and I found a position with the LPGA that looked appealing because I’d be able to zig-zag the country and use the skills I developed in Minor League Baseball on a new avenue.

The only issue was I never played golf, worked in golf or really watched much golf. Of course I knew the basics – par, birdie, bogey, etc. I just didn’t know how to read a pin sheet or the difference between a stock 8-iron and a soft 7-iron.

So, I started to soak up as much information in order to make sure my work was on-par with the expectations.

Long story short, several players had the opportunity to attend a Tampa Bay Rays game during the week of the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay. I was sitting in the stands with Kim Kaufman and Tracy Stanford just shooting the breeze and we started to joke about my lack of golf knowledge. Then, the conversation took a turn to me taking a shot at being a caddy. I was pretty sure it was a joke and it would never happen.

Then, last week at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic Tracy tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I’d caddy for her this week in Asheville. My first thought was - are you serious? My second thought was – of course lets give this a shot.

Tracy has been really cool – she knows I can’t read greens or give her yardages, but she knows I’ll do what I can to help. Basically that means carry her clubs and keep up.

My favorite part about the job has been standing beside the tee boxes/fairways watching the professionals play. It’s amazing how they so effortlessly swing and hit the ball a mile.

Now, I’ll be able to get a birds-eye view of how good they really are on the Epson Tour.

I’m just going to stay out of the way, put a bag on my shoulder and enjoy the ride. I’m also eager to learn how they manage a golf course over 4-5 hours.

Wish me luck – I’ll certainly need it!

-Bret

Lasky on the Loose

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