To most people, caddying is an underappreciated part of golf.
That is unless you’re a high-level golfer or a caddy yourself.
Those men and women dragging heavy club bags behind and beside golfers the world over love the game with unrestrained passion and their knowledge more often that not is second-to-none.
Randy Peron knows something about this, he recently acted as a caddy for two professional golfers at the LPGA’s Canadian Pacific Women’s Open tournament held at the Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club, Aug. 22 to 28.
“It goes back to the 1990s when I lived in Winnipeg,” Peron said of his love of the role. “I used to caddy in the Manitoba Men’s Open for four years.
“It was a great way of getting to meet players and do something a little out of the norm. At that time I wasn’t as strong as I am now, plus the bags were really heavy.”
At Priddis, Peron ended up caddying for American golfers Stephanie Kono and Ryann O’Toole, and the experience was one he enjoyed immensely.
“An opportunity came up this year and I took it,” he said. “In 1999 I volunteered as a driver for the golfers but this time around I wanted to get on the course more so I had some caddy experience and they selected me.”
Most people would think in order to be a high-level caddy, you’d need to take some sort of course or test but surprisingly, Peron said there isn’t one.
“It’s just matter of whether or not you know the game of golf,” he said. “I’ve been playing for over 20 years so you tend to watch it on television and see how the players and caddies do their thing.
“It’s just common sense rules of what to do for the golfer.”
He particularly enjoyed working with Kono, who has been on the tour since 2012 and has so far made $20,661 in earnings this season. She finished the tournament 74th overall, shooting five-over and walking away with $4,379.
“We just had a chemistry that clicked right away,” he said. “I knew when she wanted her binoculars to check out the distance or her putter or driver.
“She didn’t have to say anything to me, it was really fun.”
As for O’Toole, she faired a bit better than her American counterpart, finishing tied for 23th, shooting nine-under and pocketing $20,563.
“She was recently on the reality show Big Break, where the winners get to play on the PGA or LPGA tours,” Peron said. “She was very social with the other golfers and very accommodating.”
Despite being an avid golfer, Peron noticed one thing that separates elite golfers from the rest of us: they hit the sweet spot on the club every time.
“When you’re cleaning the club bases you can see them hitting the same spot because they’re wearing out the grains on the club face whereas people like myself never do that.”
Have his experiences as a caddy made him want to pursue golf at a higher level?
“No,” he admitted. “I’m just happy to enjoy the game and anything that can help me improve my swing and enjoy golf more is what I look for.”
