PGA Tour fans may be surprised to learn that the people carrying the bags for some of their favorite players are often darn good players themselves.
But no one knows this better than the caddies who are on Tour every week, and on the latest episode of Subpar, which was recorded onsite at the Travelers Championship, courtesy of SAXX, caddies Joel Stock and John Limanti, who loop for Will Zalatoris and Keith Mitchell, respectively, told hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz who among them has the most impressive skills on the course.
“Eighteen holes stroke play, who’s the best golfing caddie out here?” Knost asked.
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“I’d take [Wyndham Clark’s caddie] John Ellis any day,” said Stock.
“Best player to never have any status on a Korn Ferry or PGA Tour: John Ellis,” Stoltz agreed.
“I played North Berwick with him two years ago at the Scottish, and it was blowing 30, and he hadn’t touched a club for four months, and literally didn’t miss the center of the face once. And broke par,” Stock said.
“Elite ball striker, worst brain in history, terrible putter — those go hand in hand,” Stoltz said. “But tee to green, he was a tour-caliber guy, for sure.”
With Ellis covered, Limanti went a different route.
“I’m going [with Erik van Rooyen’s caddie] Alex Gaugert,” Limanti said.
Gaugert famously Monday-qualified for last year’s 3M Open, and was paired up with his boss, van Rooyen, for the first two rounds.
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Other names that were floated by the group include Willie Wilcox, who caddies for Sungjae Im, JJ Jakovac, who caddies for Collin Morikawa, Denny McCarthy’s caddie Derek Smith and Max Homa’s caddie Joe Greiner.
Knost’s dream is to showcase the caddies alongside their players in a made-for-TV match.
“We need a player-caddie match,” he said. “We want four players, four caddies, teams, and that would be fun. Caddies will throw some stuff out there, show some personality. I think it’d be awesome. Get y’all under the lights a little bit, get a little pressure going. I think it’d be hilarious.”
For more from Knost, Stoltz and the caddies, including their take on the difference between a good and bad caddie, check out the full episode below.