Full disclosure: I was planning on releasing a post about my experience at Sage Valley Golf Club by today. However, I conveniently decided to leave my laptop in Statesboro, GA on Sunday and just got it back last night.
In the meantime, I’ve spent three days on the bag for Alyaa Abdulghany as we prepare for the IOA Golf Classic in Longwood, FL. I’ll have more in-depth thoughts after the tournament, but wanted to provide a small taste of what I’ve learned so far.
1. We’re a team
Oftentimes in interviews, you’ll hear a golfer say “we” when discussing a round or a specific shot. It’s a phrase that I always notice, but it wasn’t important to me until Alyaa referred to our partnership as “we” during our first practice round on Tuesday.
We were on the second green, and she had just finished practicing bunker shots. I went to retrieve her golf balls, and she started to rake the bunker. I protested, as raking a bunker is always a caddie’s job, but Alyaa said, “it’s ok, we’re a team, we have to work together.”
At that point, we were (and we still are) getting used to each other, but this made it clear to me that Alyaa is fully committed to our partnership. Her words let me know that I’m not just someone carrying a golf bag, I’m someone that she values advice from and can depend on.
Hearing (and saying) “we” is gratifying, but the word makes me want to work that much harder as we chase victories.
2. The players have fun (at least before competition begins)
From all I can see, the players genuinely enjoy hanging out with one another. Yes, they all want to win each tournament, but there is a strong camaraderie that I’ve been able to catch in the short time I’ve been around.
As Alyaa told me on the first hole of our first practice round, “people start off super competitive, but you quickly realize that we’re all in the same struggle together.”
I received a taste of the struggle during a 3.5 hour rain delay on Wednesday. Players were making travel plans together and shooting the breeze, laughing and smiling through the uncertainty of losing a day of preparation for the tournament.
During the delay, I sat at a table with Alyaa and a group of her peers and played “Heads Up” while learning about “The Big One,” an earthquake with a date TBD that is projected to completely destroy the coast of California. It was a (relatively) light-hearted conversation, but demonstrated just how close the players are as they live the tour life together.
3. Spending time in the presence of professional athletes is surreal
I can’t even begin to describe how magnificent it is watching these players hit golf balls, even the bad shots seem pure. There’s just something different about the way they play golf.
Alyaa has her game down to a science. Her yardages, her pre-shot routine, and her warmup are all perfected. Even her mindset is something special to watch, as she knows how to “turn it on” exactly when it’s game-time.
While Alyaa has jokingly said “there’s a reason why we do this for a living” after a bad shot, her statement is not a joke. These athletes are freaking good. They spend their entire lives pursuing their dream, and it shows with everything they do.
Sports have a way of making you marvel at the world, and I’ve had a series of constant “pinch me” moments as I remind myself how fortunate I am to be working for a professional athlete this summer.
In just three days on the bag, I’ve learned so much about caddying, about golf, and about myself. Who knows what lessons await in the competitive rounds?
That’s the beauty of golf, there’s always something new around the corner.
How to follow along!
We tee off at 8:32 am today (Friday) and 1:47 pm (Saturday) with Gabriela Ruffels and Karen Chung. Ruffels is currently the #1 player on tour, and Alyaa went to USC with both players, so the pairing only adds intrigue to my first competitive rounds on the bag.
Unfortunately, there’s no TV coverage for this event. However, the event does have live scoring, available at this link: IOA Golf Classic Leaderboard.
You can also follow the Epson Tour on Instagram and Twitter for official content and updates. I’ll also be posting as much as I can on my Looper’s Line Instagram.
It’s go time!
Questions, comments, ideas, and feedback can be directed to jpatterson@unc.edu. You can find me on Twitter @JakeWPatt or my Instagram @Loopers_Line. If you really want to get to know me, check out my LinkedIn.
Special thanks to Bethany Phillis for serving as my creative project mentor. Additional thanks to Caroline Maness for designing Looper’s Line’s logo.