IF YOU make it to the World Match Play in Wentworth the chances are that you have had a good year’s golfing. A bit like getting to the Grand Slam in Hawaii or the Sun City junket in South Africa in December, getting into these elite events is a reward for having played well.
When HSBC took over the World Match Play a couple of years back it became even more of a treat, especially for us bagmen. I have been fortunate to have been involved with the HSBC through my boss, Retief Goosen, in recent years. There is a pampering that even caddies get that can make us forget just how far we have travelled up the food chain from our humble beginnings in the traditionally spartan caddie shack.
Flights are arranged by the sponsor, a courtesy car meets us on arrival, we are transported to the Royal Berkshire hotel, which is about five minutes from the golf course. At the course we are given the royal treatment too, as if we have become members of the exclusive Wentworth club for the week.
There is an ante-room to the locker-room where William, our designated waiter, provides us with whatever we desire early morning or late afternoon.
The games are played over 36 holes so there are some early starts. Last year we played the opening game at 7.30am against Kenny Ferrie, so it was up at 5.30am and on to the course to pack Retief’s bag with a dozen balls, towels and snacks. Retief did some stretching exercises, hit balls for 45 minutes, practised his chipping and putting before heading to the 1st tee.
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It was raining heavily as we warmed up before teeing off, but as we headed down the fairway the rain eased to a light drizzle. When we reached the green, it had all but stopped but Retief kept hold of the umbrella. He had a ten-foot putt left for par, Kenny had trickled his 25-foot birdie attempt down to about two and a half feet, by no means gimmie distance.
Retief handed me the brolly as he prepared for his putt. I asked him what he wanted me to do with it as it was virtually dry. He replied “take it away”. As he said this, Kenny was stooped over his ball just about to mark it, but he had heard Retief say “take it away” and assumed he meant he was referring to his ball.
In disbelief he snatched his ball up and smiled as if to say “this guy is really generous or it is a matchplay tactic of his”. Either way he didn’t need to hear it twice, his ball was safely back in his pocket by the time Retief figured out that he had mistaken his reference to the umbrella for his ball. I have never seen Retief laugh so much during competition as I did on that sopping 1st green. He went on to miss his par putt and lost the hole.
It was the last hole that Retief lost that day and Kenny had certainly received the last act of mistaken generosity from Retief. The match ended prematurely with a 10 and 8 victory.
Retief has had a strange relationship with Wentworth. In the Match Play he appears to have played particularly well against opponents who have played very badly, which in matchplay results in what appears to be a mauling. In 2004, Jeff Maggert took a long trip back home from the 25th green. In the second round last year, Mark Hensby also took a bumpy ride back prematurely from the same hole.
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We have made it back to the Match Play again and I look forward to the unique challenge and the pampering that HSBC have made a tradition, not only for the players but their porters too.