As Kiwi Michael Campbell readies to play his 50th major tournament, six years after his victory at Pinehurst, local eyes will be trained a bit closer to home as two Mt Maunganui-based caddies saddle up for the US Open starting tonight at Congressional Country Club.
Well-known bagman Anthony Knight is caddying
for Aussie Aaron Baddeley, who has won US$2.28 million on the United States PGA Tour and is 15th on the FedExCup standings.
Lesser-known Tim Butler is on the bag for PGA Tour rookie Justin Hicks, who is precariously poised in the PGA standings at 146th with US$257,000 in earnings, having made just five cuts from 11 tournaments. The 36-year-old qualified for his third US Open three weeks ago in Ohio.
Hicks' biggest moment and biggest eye-opener in golf came at the US Open. In 2008 he led the Open after the first round, but shot 80 the next day and finished in a tie for 74th, while Tiger Woods limped his way around Torrey Pines to a historic win.
Hicks said he wasn't prepared to be the first-round leader, but hopes to find out if he can handle the heat next week at Congressional Country Club.
"I was the 'journeyman' who shared the lead after the first round," he told golf.com this week.
"Though I faded back into the pack, my moment in the sun somehow eclipsed by the Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate playoff, I experienced the pressure cooker in its entirety. I had my first big press conference. I hit shots while the voice in the back of my head said, I wonder what Johnny Miller and Dottie Pepper thought of that swing.
"You may not care, but you know they're saying something, because you're leading the tournament and you're not supposed to be."
Hicks graduated from the Nationwide Tour last year, the 25th and last player to earn his card for the PGA with $2000 to spare.
