Every good bagman needs a great nickname, if nothing else than to solidify his legacy in golf lore. Those of us who were caddies at any point in our lives — myself included — likely had a nickname at one point handed down by the club members or pros for whom we carried.
Earlier this week we sent a tweet from the @CaddieNetwork Twitter account asking our followers for the best caddie nicknames they’ve ever heard.
What’s the best caddie nickname you’ve ever heard? #caddielife
— The Caddie Network (@CaddieNetwork) November 14, 2018
As usual, our followers did not disappoint. In fact, a few current professional caddies contributed to the conversation. Ryan Rue, who caddied for Tour player John Peterson this year, rattled off a long list of nicknames that reads like a gang from the wild west.
Due North, Pele, Last Call, First Call, Baghdad, Jihad Jeff,,Disco,Shampoo, Boz, Bones, Skillet, Fluff, Cubbie, Bambi, Paddy the Hair, Reefer Ray, Bird Dog, Thirsty, Broke Brad, Quad Todd, Steve the Liar, Pepsi, Cheeto, Stinky Pete, Kooky Kyle, New Guy
— Ryan Rue (@ryanrue) November 15, 2018
A few notable names like Bones, Fluff, and Pepsi stick out. But if anyone can clarify for me who Last Call, First Call, and Steve the Liar is, I’d very much appreciate it. (Psssst… You can read all about ‘Last Call’ right here)
Moving on…
Finger Heat Pete
— Todd Montoya™ (@ToddCaddie) November 15, 2018
“Wayne-O Draino” for Wayne Birch
— andy miller (@mikewichter) November 14, 2018
Steve ‘Asbestos’ Duplantis – Respected as one of the best caddies on tour. He earned the name “Asbestos” because others joked that he was fireproof – as in, he couldn’t be fired – even though he was constantly late, due in large part to his partying the night before.
— Ex Pat (@dan_brewer) November 15, 2018
Perhaps the creepiest nickname of the bunch comes from a local club caddie who, if I can speak for all of us, should forever remain isolated and away from others at all costs.
Not sure if this is the best Caddy nickname. But we had a local guy who was on the bag when a member had a heart attack and died. About 3 years later he was on the bag when a guest did the same. Grim Reaper became his nickname. You didn’t want that sumbitch on you bag
— Kentucky Golfer (@Kygolfnews) November 15, 2018
Last but not least, one of the most interesting backstories for a nickname comes from Twitter follower Ward, who shared this gem.
Cemetery – Former US President Eisenhower’s Augusta National caddie. Originally nicknamed Dead Man – changed by Ike – because he woke up in the morgue after supposedly dying in a knife fight. Real name: Willie Perteet.
— Ward Clayton (@WardClayton) November 14, 2018
Earlier this year, caddie Kenny Harms tracked down his caddie brethren for more nicknames…
But life on the caddie circuit isn’t always fun and games. Many caddies are seriously talented golfers in their own right, including Don Donatello who was competing in Champions Tour Q-School last week. While things didn’t go as planned for Don, his post-competition tweet is testament to how difficult qualifying for the big time can be.
The last 4 days at Champions Q-School didn’t go the way I wanted. Played very poorly, learned a lot. Today I felt better and under control of mind and shots out there. I need to be Tournament ready if I try to do any other Qualifiers. Congrats,all the guys that made it to Finals.
— Don Donatello (@D2_59) November 17, 2018