HAVEN, Wis. -- When each round of the 97th PGA Championship ends, I'll talk to a caddie to get some behind-the-scenes info about what's really going on, no holds barred. Each caddie will remain anonymous to protect his strategy and so we can get the truth about what's happening inside the ropes.
What was it like on the final day of the final major of the year for the caddies? How did they manage their players around the course even if a win was out of the question? These questions and a couple more get answered in this final major edition of Caddie Confidential.
Michael Collins: What were conditions like on Sunday?
Caddie: Yeah, it was good. Greens were fantastic, but it was very tricky. The wind fluctuated from different directions and different strengths. Especially with the pins on the final day of a major, it was always going to be tough, so it's nice when your player plays well and hits the short grass. It makes it a little easier.
Collins: How much different was the wind compared to Saturday?
Caddie: Well, we were late on Thursday so any wind after that was just going to be a light breeze, because [Thursday] was pretty brutal. That's as tough a wind as I caddied in, in a long, long time. So yeah, anything after Thursday was gonna be a little bit easier.
Collins: Which hole was the hardest to judge the wind?
Caddie: Four.
Collins: Why?
Caddie: It's just a brutal hole. Where you've gotta hit driver [and] it pinches in. So it's narrow and then, because of where the wind is coming from, you've got to kind of hit it out over the scrub and over the water. You've gotta take that stuff on. That's the one that's the most nerve-racking and you're hitting something pretty long [into the green] most of the time. To me, that's been hardest hole all week.
Collins: How challenging is it for the caddie on Sunday at a major to make your player stay patient?
Caddie: Very challenging for my fella. He's not the most patient man in the world and he's a very, very aggressive guy. That's the toughest bit on a Sunday. Especially after the disappointment of Saturday's round, he wanted to get off to a flier. And luckily we did and momentum sort of kept us going a little bit. We had a couple nice up-and-downs [to save par]. But yeah, it's very hard to put the brakes on sometimes, yes.
Collins: Coming down the stretch on the back nine, which hole was the hardest?
Caddie: 17. That back left pin on 17. You've got to hit it way further right than you think. You have to, and you have to let it feed in off the ground. It's very easy for these guys to get a little bit greedy and take it to the middle of the green drawing it to that back pin. But if you miss anything left there, you got a telephone number. That's the tough one yeah.
Collins: The tournament is over. How did the PGA of America do?
Caddie: Fantastic. Yeah, it was great. Look, we're lucky enough in our job to go to some of the greatest golf courses in the world. The first time I was here was Monday and I walked it. It was breathtaking. This is one of the top three golf courses in the world I've ever been on in my life. This bit of property is unbelievable.