Official Caddying Story: Corey Pavin
Corey Pavin needs no introduction. The winner of the 1995 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, he won 15 tournaments on the PGA Tour and also topped its money list in 1991, garnering Player of the Year honors from the PGA of America. He also won over a dozen tournaments as a professional on other tours around the world. He was the captain of the Ryder Cup in 2010, having previously been a 3-time participant on the US team. He also competed on two Presidents Cup teams. In college, he was the NCAA Player of the Year and a member of the Walker Cup. Now a member of the PGA Tour Champions, he’s been named to various halls of fame, in recognition of his many accomplishments in golf. What few people know, however, is that Corey helped put himself through college by working as a caddie.
At which golf course did you first caddie, and how old were you when you started?
Bel-Air Country Club and it was about a year or so into my college career at UCLA.
Why were you compelled to become a caddie?
Like probably every college kid in the world it seems, I needed money. Our family didn’t have a lot, so I needed to find a way to make a few bucks and be able to support myself. As you know, Bel-Air is right next to the UCLA campus, literally across the street, and our coach was also the head pro at Bel-Air Country Club. As UCLA golfers, we got to play up there a few times a week, and I tend to notice things. I saw the caddies up there and got to know some of them, so I asked the caddiemaster if I could loop there on the weekends. He told me that would be OK, but there was a pecking order in the caddie yard. And, I’d have to pay my dues. The full-time caddies would have priority over me in the beginning.
Take us through your first day on the job, who was your first loop?
I remember getting there early, around 5:30 or 6 in the morning. I signed my name on the sheet. Then, I just sat down and waited for the caddiemaster to call me for a loop. I got out eventually, can’t quite recall who it was, but it took some time.
Can you elaborate on your experience in the Bel-Air caddy yard, which can be a notoriously raucous place?
I knew a lot of the caddies already from playing the course on a regular basis. All sorts of different types of people, there were professional caddies who made their living this way. There were guys just trying to survive in LA, aspiring actors who maybe even waited tables on the side. It was a very interesting group of guys. Roosevelt was there and is still there; he is always someone that I think about as it relates to that yard. Artie also went back there after caddying on Tour for a while, and he later moved to the locker room. They were very welcoming and even taught me how to caddie. I don’t remember any ill feelings. I was only caddying on weekends, and there was plenty of play at a course where taking a caddy is mandatory. So, everyone got enough work.
What was the biggest mistake that you made during your caddying career?
I don’t recall ever making a really big one. I took things pretty slow if I was caddying for someone that I’d never been out with before. So if a player would ask me if he should hit a 7 or an 8-iron on the first hole, I’d have the yardage ready for them but would usually ask them to give me a couple of holes to assess their game before giving specific club advice. From there, you’d just adapt to each player and figure out how to help them that day.
What did you most enjoy about caddying?
It was a great way to make enough money to support myself, whether it was being able to buy some fast food or go to the movies. Mostly working on weekends, I'd sometimes loop 36 holes a day. It was hard work but very rewarding.
Tell us about some of the people for whom you caddied, did any of them contribute to your career in a meaningful way?
There were many. The membership at Bel-Air was great to me. One was certainly Peter Ueberroth, whom I still know to this day. He’s a great guy. Among his many accomplishments in life, he also ran the Olympics in Los Angeles, so it was helpful to be around someone like that. I remember caddying for him in the pro-am of the LA Open when he brought me over to Riviera (Country Club). I think I’d actually played in the event as an amateur the year before, so I knew it well. I’ll never forget; we were on the 2nd hole, and he had 220 yards in. It’s uphill and into the wind, so I told him to go ahead and hit all that he could, a 4-wood or something like that. Of course, he absolutely flushed it and also caught a flyer, so it flew over the green and into the gallery. I told him that I was sorry and that I was shocked that he was able to hit it that far. He told me not to be sorry and that he couldn’t believe that he hit it that far either!
Another person that certainly stood out was Jerry West. I was quite in awe of him since my first career goal was to become a professional basketball player, but I lacked the height and couldn’t even shoot. So, that was out of the question. Jerry played in a big gambling game. They teed off around 1PM on weekdays and each rode in a cart by himself, so I would just hold the putters and try to keep up. I didn’t loop for them all that often since I mostly worked weekends, but I still remember being very nervous reading putts and offering advice when they asked for it. If I was wrong, he could lose a lot of money!
Bob Stillwell had perhaps the biggest impact specifically on my career because he arranged my first sponsor when I turned pro. He structured the entire contract with one of his wealthy clients, and it worked out great for all of us. I was very fortunate, and they helped me keep enough money to ultimately go out on my own.
What was the biggest lesson that you learned from caddying that helped you succeed as you progressed in life?
It certainly taught me about preparation and responsibility. Of course, the saying for caddies is that you should “show up, keep up, and shut up.” But, there’s even more to it. You need to be ready to give your players information, even though they may end up not wanting it. You have to be organized, much more than the average person probably stops to think about. You have to be professional. Those things help you in all facets of your life, not just in golf.
There were other members who helped me understand the importance of taking care of your money. They taught me how to how to treat people and how to be around people in all types of situations. They’d even go so far as to help correct my grammar or diction, teaching me the proper way to say something. There’s just so much to learn from caddying, so many lessons.
Having been a caddy, how did you select your caddy as a pro?
That’s an interesting question. I hadn’t really stopped to think about it, but it just kind of fell into my lap. I didn’t get my Tour card on my first try, so I went to play in South Africa for six weeks. There, I just used local caddies who were available. I then went to play in Europe for three and a half months, and a friend put me in touch with a guy who was backpacking through Europe. We’d never even met, but he became my caddie. His name was Jim Mensey, and he ended up being a great fit for me. Very mellow, he could keep me calm since I was was hyper enough for myself. When I came back to America and started playing on the Tour, he came over with me and stayed on my bag until 1991. He was my caddie when I won the money title, so it worked out well.
Then in ‘91, I was over in Europe playing in the British Open, and Jim wanted to do some backpacking afterwards. So, he picked a friend of his to caddy for me when I got back. His name is Eric Schwarz, and our first tournament together was at Harford, where I lost in a playoff. We’ve stayed together ever since. We’re very close, and he’s probably my best friend. As professional golfers, we’re playing in rather stressful situations, so it’s important to have someone reliable next to you. They can put an arm around your shoulder or sock you in the face, depending on what you need at the time.
We understand that you returned to caddying for a brief stint, even after winning the US Open. Would you mind sharing more details?
Sure, I caddied for a good friend of mine, Jay Delsing, when he was going through Qualifying School. It was grueling, six competitive rounds so 108 holes, not including pre-qualifying. It’s probably the most pressure you’ll ever feel as a professional, trying to get your PGA Tour credentials. I was exhausted, and I wasn’t even playing. As a player, I think it’s probably easier to compete; caddying is harder.
We got to the very last hole, the 108th, and I was pretty sure that he was right on the edge of making it or not making it. I kind of knew it. Jay turns to me and says, “What do you know? I said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jay responds, “You’re not talking anymore. You were talking before but now aren’t.” In reality, someone had told me he was right on the (cut) line. I told him that somebody said something, but I wasn’t going to share it with him because I didn’t know if it was right or not. As you can imagine, if it was wrong and he needed to make a birdie, it’s bad information to give. The last hole is is a par-5, and Jay has a six footer for birdie. I’ll never forget I’m standing off to the side holding the flagstick just praying that he does not ask me to read the putt! I did not want to be responsible for misreading a putt. It was funny because I’d already won the US Open and a number of tournaments on Tour, and I did not want that responsibility.
Of course, he misses the birdie putt and knocks it three or four feet by, so now I’m really nervous. If he three putts and misses by one, this is going to be a disaster! I’m REALLY hoping that he doesn’t ask me for a read. Fortunately, he knocked it right in, made it right on the number, and got his card. Afterwards, I was just exhausted, mentally even more than physically. It made me appreciate my own caddy so much more. The next year out on Tour, I told Eric that I appreciated him before but now even more. It’s always important to experience something first hand. You can have people tell you about it all you want, but you have to go through it for yourself.
There's an infamous photo of you caddying that used to hang in the Bel-Air locker room and certainly will again when the new clubhouse is finished. Can you touch on that one for us?
Ha! You wouldn’t believe how often people come up and ask me about that photo after they play Bel-Air. It’s the college version of me holding a rake in the bunker next to the 11th green. I had a big brown afro, glasses, and a mustache. I was caddying for Aubrey Duffy in the semi-finals of the club championship. Unfortunately, he was facing Ted Richards (most championships in the club’s history), so it was an automatic loss. But I hear about that photo all the time. People can’t believe that it’s me and that I caddied there. Bel-Air is a great place, a fun place. It gives me goosebumps just talking about it.
Any final words for people who may not know much about caddying?
Golf’s a great game. And there’s more to golf than just playing. In addition to caddies, you have golf professionals. You have superintendents that keep the course in great shape. You have a staff of people that help create these remarkable experiences. There’s a lot that goes into it. Caddying, in particular, is a great way to learn a lot of things. It’s a great way to be mentored by the players. And sometimes, the caddies even mentor the players. That happens as well.
