Lance Ten Broeck

[Bill Shamleffer]

I guess Lance Ten Broeck's 141 at this week’s Texas Open debunks the importance of having the perfect equipment.

For those not familiar with this story, Lance Ten Broeck is a former member of the PGA Tour and is from a family of excellent golfers from Chicago.  For quite a few years now he has been Jasper Parnevik's caddie.  However, it has also been a dream of his to play and caddie in the same event (he still holds some PGA Tour status due to his many prior years on the Tour).

Well this week he finally got his wish.  On Thursday morning he caddied for Parnevik, and then due to a last minute withdrawal Lance had the opportunity to play in the afternoon.

The point of my first comment is that without any practice or preparation he shot 71 with a borrowed set of clubs (from Richard Johnson), and then on Friday shot a 70 with a different set of clubs from those he used on Friday.  Think of all the guys he beat (including his boss) who practiced all week and were all using clubs supposedly perfectly matched and tuned to within a fraction of a degree so as to be able to maximize that player’s performance.  Perhaps some of those players should stop worrying about the equipment and just learn to score better.

How does this have anything to do with golf course architecture?  Perhaps golfers should stop wanting the course to be perfect and just make the most of what they have.

[David_Tepper]

Bill -

A great example of how less (lower expectations and less preparation) can sometimes be more.

Will Jesper tote Lance's bag over the final 2 rounds?

DT

[Bill Shamleffer]

Lance's 1 over par missed the cut by 2.  So he has the weekend off on both gigs (caddie & player).

[Pete Lavallee]

Lance's 1 over par missed the cut by 2.  So he has the weekend off on both gigs (caddie & player).

Perhaps he would have made the cut with his own clubs.

[Tim Bert]

If he raked a bunker in the morning as a caddie for Jesper and then landed in that same bunker in the afternoon as a player would that have been testing the conditions?  If he asked Jesper what club he wanted on any hole in the morning, is that asking for advice from a competitor?

It seems like this scenario raises some interesting questions about the competition.  Or maybe I'm just bored this morning.

[Jon Wiggett]

If he raked a bunker in the morning as a caddie for Jesper and then landed in that same bunker in the afternoon as a player would that have been testing the conditions?  If he asked Jesper what club he wanted on any hole in the morning, is that asking for advice from a competitor?

It seems like this scenario raises some interesting questions about the competition.  Or maybe I'm just bored this morning.

Tim,

have you thought about stamp collecting or train spotting to fill the void in your life?

[astavrides]

If he raked a bunker in the morning as a caddie for Jesper and then landed in that same bunker in the afternoon as a player would that have been testing the conditions?  If he asked Jesper what club he wanted on any hole in the morning, is that asking for advice from a competitor?

It seems like this scenario raises some interesting questions about the competition.  Or maybe I'm just bored this morning.

Tim,

have you thought about stamp collecting or train spotting to fill the void in your life?

I actually think it's a pretty valid issue.

[Ron Csigo]

Lance Ten Broeck's feat of caddying and playing in the same event is impressive given that he pulled a Carlos Franco, barely any practice.  Wonder if he even played a practice round considering he was probably carrying Jesper's clubs for his practice rounds. 

Does anyone know what kind of pay a PGA Tour caddies receive?  I realize they're each independent contractors and that they receive a certain percentage for wins and top 10s.  What about if their player misses the cut or makes the cut and finishes 35th?  Does the money come directly from the player?  Also, the caddies usually wears the logo of the player's equipment sponsor.  Do the caddies also receive sponsorship dollars or just shirts and hats?  Just curious.

[Doug Sobieski]

For those discussing potential rules issues, remember that while caddying Lance is not playing a stipulated round. There may be a logical conflict with the rules to some, but not an actual conflict.

[RJ_Daley]

Well, I'm waiting for JVB to weight in on this one.  Golf can bring up the oddest situational conundrums in the rules.  Does a committee have to meet to go over this one? 

But, Bill S., has pointed out a valuable point of consideration regarding the over emphasis on equipment VS hitting the shots and reading and playing the golf course architecture as you find it. 

I'll bet there are some interesting skins and other money games when just the caddie and his/her employer go out and negotiate strokes and have a little game at home. 

[M. Shea Sweeney]

deleted

[Doug Sobieski]

There is no conflict for playing and caddying in the same event. It's as simple as Decision 6-4/8 which clearly answers this specific question.

If you only trust JVB to answer Rules questions, I think you can trust me on fairly simple situations when he's not around.... I've served as an official at events such as Nationwide (Nike) Tour, Sectional US Open Qualifiying, and PGA Tour Qualifying. I have a fairly good understanding of the Rules
 

[J_ Crisham]

Very impressive feat to play as well as he did just pulling a set of sticks after an already early/long day. As an aside, I used to caddy for Lance when I was growing up looping at Beverly. He was the best loop you could imagine -he knew the course like the back of his hand and would shoot a smooth 68 with little effort and was very generous to us caddies. Great times watching him compete with his older brothers, Rick and Jim back then. The ladies were ga ga over his good looks-just a great guy to spend 4 hrs with.  Wish him well on the Senior Tour-where have the years gone?                    Jack   

[Sam Maryland]

There is no conflict for playing and caddying in the same event. It's as simple as Decision 6-4/8 which clearly answers this specific question.

If you only trust JVB to answer Rules questions, I think you can trust me on fairly simple situations when he's not around.... I've served as an official at events such as Nationwide (Nike) Tour, Sectional US Open Qualifiying, and PGA Tour Qualifying. I have a fairly good understanding of the Rules
 

But can you name each and every US Open winner by memory without looking? 

[Dan Herrmann]

It's perfectly OK from a rules POV:

Decision 6-4/8  Player in Competition Caddies for Another Player in Same Event

Q. Two players playing in the same competition at different times on the same day caddie for each other. Is this permissible?

A. Yes.

[Doug Sobieski]

There is no conflict for playing and caddying in the same event. It's as simple as Decision 6-4/8 which clearly answers this specific question.

If you only trust JVB to answer Rules questions, I think you can trust me on fairly simple situations when he's not around.... I've served as an official at events such as Nationwide (Nike) Tour, Sectional US Open Qualifiying, and PGA Tour Qualifying. I have a fairly good understanding of the Rules
 

But can you name each and every US Open winner by memory without looking? 

Do you have me under surveillance or something? I wasn't aware that my feats of memory were that well known

(C'mon, how did you know that?)