Does Rory need a new caddy?

[muttleee]

How much was JP responsible for Rory's last hole collapse yesterday when he had a good chance to win or at least get into a play-off? I know the player makes the final decision about what shot to play but surely it's up to the caddy to make sure he doesn't do anything daft - like hook one into water on the left when there are acres of space on the right? It's not like this is the first time something like this has happened either.

 

[need_my_wedge]

How does the caddy stop him hooking it? Rory played the hole perfectly the day before using the same club off the tee, cleared the water by miles. Surely can't blame the caddy for the shot played on the day? Just one of those bad ones that creep up on us at times, unfortunate in this case dropped Rory from 1st to 7th, but Dustbin would have beaten him anyways due to the missed putts he gave away long before that final hole.....

 

[timchump]

i thought this last year at the USPGA when rory went to hit a full shot with the ball lying on a tree route (i think) then injured his wrist. Surely any reasonable caddy with have got him to back off

 

[6inchcup]

is it coincidence or has his dip in form been on the back of a change in managment,girl friend or tour he plays on,how can he make a statement saying he doesnt like playing in the wind! i think he has gone off the rails.

 

[garyinderry]

rory is not one to shy away from shots. he played in perfectly the day before for birdie and attempted the same. whats the caddy ment to say, hold on rory, what if you hook it? he would be for the chop for putting the image in his head!

 

[muttleee]

It's not that Rory wasn't capable of pulling the shot off. It's a risk reward situation - if he makes the big tee shot, he leaves himself hopefully a short birdie putt but if he doesn't, he's out of the tournament. I would have thought it's the caddy's place to "force" him (as much as that's possible) to take a safer line up the right. That way he still has a shot at the green and a decent birdie chance, whatever happens.

 

[smange]

Rory really can do no wrong on this forum can he

He misses short putts, he hooks balls into the water and it all his caddies fault

Sorry but how the hell is it the caddies fault when Rory is the one swinging the clubs?

Dont think we would be blaming the caddie if Tiger had collapsed like Rory yesterday would we? No, some on here would be revelling in the fact and saying how Tiger was finished and will never win again.

Now maybe just maybe Rory didnt putt well yesterday and maybe just maybe Rory hit a poor tee shoot on 18.

This isnt an anti Rory post just the truth

 

[Aztecs27]

Nope. Bit of a silly suggestion IMO. I'm a huge Rory fan, but those mistakes were all him, not JP.

By the same logic, Lee Westwood should dump Billy permanently (who's widely regarded as one of the best in the business) because he's been playing better since Billy injured his leg. Which would also be a ridiculous suggestion.

 

[Oddsocks]

to be fair while what rory has done for hes age is great, i think a comentator last week summed him up great, he either brings hes A game or no game.

most other guys only ever drop out the top 10 on bad days/weeks, but he will miss cuts .... 3 on a bounce from W~1 is not good.

also im not sure if its just me, but when hes on fire hes shoulders are up, he stands tall smiles and enjoys it, when hes having bad days he looks like a kid sulking... and just slumps and gives up... or thats how it appears from my sofa anyway.

 

[Aztecs27]

to be fair while what rory has done for hes age is great, i think a comentator last week summed him up great, he either brings hes A game or no game.

most other guys only ever drop out the top 10 on bad days/weeks, but he will miss cuts .... 3 on a bounce from W~1 is not good.

also im not sure if its just me, but when hes on fire hes shoulders are up, he stands tall smiles and enjoys it, when hes having bad days he looks like a kid sulking... and just slumps and gives up... or thats how it appears from my sofa anyway.

That's exactly what he's like, but he's still a kid and will learn to deal with it better and still post scores on days he's not swinging well the more experienced he gets. All part of the learning process. He's going to get critised by all the arm chair commentators (along with a number of other high profile tour pros) whatever he does, and he'll eventually learn to ignore everyone and just play his own game.

 

[muttleee]

I'm a huge Rory fan, but those mistakes were all him, not JP.

But isn't it part of JP's job to stop him making mistakes?

Remember when Van De Velde hit it into the grandstand at the 18th at the 1999 Open? Everyone basically cried, "What was his caddy thinking to let him play a shot like that?!" The mistake was VdV's but his caddy should never have let him do it.

 

[CMAC]

Get Steve Williams on his bag- proven Major winner who will catapult Rory into many Majors as Steves support man


Rory played the shot, he's not perfect and golf isnt a game of perfect, you would like to think the world no1 or 2 would be able to hit a straight-ish drive when needed wouldnt you? it's a golf mistake and nothing to do with caddies!

 

[Aztecs27]

But isn't it part of JP's job to stop him making mistakes?

Remember when Van De Velde hit it into the grandstand at the 18th at the 1999 Open? Everyone basically cried, "What was his caddy thinking to let him play a shot like that?!" The mistake was VdV's but his caddy should never have let him do it.

But as has been noted, he played the same shot the day before with absolutely no problems at all. No reason to think he would hook it into the water.

Perhaps JP was telling him to hit a different shot, if that's the case, then perhaps Rory doesn't need a new caddy, but needs to learn to listen to his caddy?

 

[CMAC]

But isn't it part of JP's job to stop him making mistakes?

Remember when Van De Velde hit it into the grandstand at the 18th at the 1999 Open? Everyone basically cried, "What was his caddy thinking to let him play a shot like that?!" The mistake was VdV's but his caddy should never have let him do it.

your not serious with that post surely? he hits a shot and it push fades and hits the grandstand, it happens!

 

[muttleee]

your not serious with that post surely? he hits a shot and it push fades and hits the grandstand, it happens!

Yes it happens - but when you have a side hill lie in the rough with danger all around and the Open Championship is at stake, you play safe!

 

[Monty_Brown]

A caddy can offer advice on a shot selection, but ultimately it's the player's call.

We don't know what goes on between rory and his caddy, but even if JP urged him to make the safer play, he can't force Rory to hit a certain shot.

Can't blame the caddy in this case.

 

[Durango]

Stevie would lurvvvvv this thread!

 

[sydney greenstreet]

Yes it happens - but when you have a side hill lie in the rough with danger all around and the Open Championship is at stake, you play safe!

The last bit sums it up "you play safe" the caddie can't make the golfer do anything only advise, it finally rests with the golfer what he does. NO way would i stand on the tee of a par 4 340 yarder for instance and say give me my 3 wood then after hooking it blame the caddie on MY poor swing.

 

[FairwayDodger]

I think if the player is trying some "Hail Mary" shot with a low chance of success it's the caddy's job to make him see sense but, in this instance, the shot was well within Rory's capability and, as others said, he'd executed it perfectly just the day before.

Not sure any player would thank his caddy for pointing out he might hook it into the water...

 

[Val]

Rory doesn't need a new caddy, but needs to learn to listen to his caddy?

Common theme aparently, Rory's biggest issue is that he is all out attack every time, the only conservative shot I've watched him hit was his second into the final hole at The Honda Classic when rather than go for it on the Par 5 he laid up, pitched in and took the 2 putts to win by 2 shots.