This is a quick story about my first trip to the Middle East. I embarked on a 2 week trip to caddy for Erik Compton on the European Tour. If you read my former stories about Erik, you may be familiar with the 2009 Ben Hogan Award winner, an award that goes to a golf professional who’s overcome a tragic and near death situation. Erik has survived 2 heart transplants and a massive heart attack and so far for the 2010 season has made 4 of 6 cuts. One in Europe during our trip to Dubai and Qatar and three on the U.S. Tour, his latest being the Arnold Palmer Invitational where he picked up $33,420 for his 30th place finish.
As we flew from JFK airport in New York City 13 hours, it was amazing as we were coming back down to earth, there it was, piercing the clouds and resembling the old fable Jack and the Beanstalk. It was a real wow moment, something burnt into my memory bank forever and ever. I lived in New York City for 6 years in the mid 90s flying in and out of the 3 New York airports always viewing the old twin towers and the Empire State building and in retrospect I took them for granted. This trip to the European Tour, Erik is sponsored by Air Emirates and we came and left Dubai 4 times during the 2 week trip. After having lived in Reston, VA for the past 12 years, I was awed by the skyline and especially with the Burj Khalifa Tower standing 2,717 feet and 160 floors ridiculously high above the clouds and the international city of Dubai below. As an accredited media member, all media was invited for a tour departing the hotel at 8:30am, with the $100 fee to tour the building waived. This all happened on pro-am Wednesday but I had to take off my media hat and don the caddy hat for the 7:30am pro-am start with Erik, missing my one chance to go view this monstrosity. Oh well, I’m kind of scared of heights anyways. So I’ve missed the Taj Mahal twice while playing the Indian Open, however I’ve been up the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Toronto CN Tower, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Malaysia’s Petronas Towers. I guess I’ve seen some things.
Here at the first of Europe’s big money events for the 2010 season, I was involved helping cheerlead, coach and caddy among other things for Erik Compton. The first event was the Qatar Masters. Erik’s golf equipment lost its baggage tag somewhere between Miami and New York and the bags sat anonymously at JFK for 2 days unclaimed and with a ton of investigation and ground work I was able to, with the help of a lot of people, locate and have Erik’s clubs arrive Wednesday night in the nick of time for Thursday mornings’ early start. As Erik’s personal valet I chased down the problem until it was solved. Meanwhile we played a practice round with former British Open champion Todd Hamilton, also a Titleist player, and shared his clubs. Believe you me there is nothing like having your own specs to practice with, especially the first tournament of the year and a huge overseas trip to the Middle East. So after a 24 hour trip and no clubs to practice with, as predicted, we only played 2 rounds sitting out the weekend and our first of 2 potential pay days. We flew back Saturday to Dubai and prepared well for the 2.5 million dollar tournament Dubai Desert Classic. Sunday we played 9 holes with defending champion 20 year old Irishman, Rory McIlroy. This boy can play. He plays heads up ready golf. See ball, hit ball, chase ball. Great stuff! He does this with a post card perfect swing and demeanor. Since Erik was a sponsor invitee we had dining privileges with the tournament committee and with the other top tour players and invitees such as Rory, Mark O’Meara and Tom Watson. We befriended Miguel Angel Jimenez earlier in the week and told him that he was going to win and he did at that. He won a 4-hole playoff against last years’ “Race to Dubai” Order of Merit winner Lee Westwood. Erik and I were marveling at all the home made swings especially Jeev Milkha Singh’s.
Kelly Murray works the bag for Compton at the 2009 Honda Classic
Our good fortune in week 2 came down to Erik making a 5 foot putt on the 36th hole Friday to make the cut. We were the first off Saturday playing solo with an official marker and me the 53-year-old speedy caddy, we completed play in 3 hours. Again we were first off on Sunday playing solo, same scenario but this time in 2 hours and 35 minutes. Having made the cut, you are guaranteed a payday. We didn’t make last money and we beat a couple of guys and picked up around 16,000.
Here’s a foursome of young up and comers I recommend you learn and remember their names.They are first and foremost Rory McIlroy from Belfast, Ireland. Spaniard Alvaro Quiros,
Rhys Davies from Wales and Charles Schwartzel from South Africa. If you are in a Masters pool these would be some good bets.
Have a good golf season now that the snow has gone and hopefully some of your rust. Look for me at Algonkian Golf Park and Virginia Golf Center and Academy this year.
p.s. For my Natural Golf students and Moe Norman fans, they are going to start the filming of the Moe Norman movie “Dancing the Green” this July. My friend Barry Morrow who won an Academy Award for the screenplay “Rain Man” has also written Moe’s life story. Stay tuned!
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