ESPN Lists Most Thankless Jobs, Nails It With Caddies

I've done my fair share of caddying. I've looped in Scotland at St. Andrews, for two LPGA friends of mine, and had friends carry my bag during qualifying rounds. I've bagged it in rain, cold, hot and near-snow. And the one thing I've always said when I finished is, "Man, I'll never do this again." Why? Because the job is tough.

Not physically, really. I can carry a bag for six miles and although my dogs tend to be barking when it ends, I'm not totally beat up. No, it's just the beauty of the beast that pushes me to that conclusion. And then, four months later, I'm out lugging that big bag again and wondering what's going on.

All of that just means I have a ton of respect for the people that do it on a daily basis. Sure, you can make good money doing it for a good player, but it isn't easy money (why do you think Vijay Singh's caddie muled over the idea of quitting when he was making nearly a million bucks a year?).

So when I read that ESPN.com had put caddies as No. 5 in their most thankless jobs, I was pumped.

Here is what they said ...

OK, so the money is good. At the top end. But what about a caddie for a journeyman pro? They must pay their own way to tournaments -- which means if their guy doesn't make the cut, the caddie doesn't get his cut. Add that to the sometimes-grueling work (carrying the bag like a servant, knowing the course like an expert, advising the player like a coach), and it's -- apologies in advance for this pun -- rough. And when one tries to take some credit for a win? Watch out.

I think that about sums it up. We should praise the people that carry the bags. There should be a tournament where they get recognized, or a PGA Tour event where the player gives 60 percent of his earnings that week to the looper (that's actually a damn good idea, if I do say so myself ... you're move, Finchem).

You're always second fiddle, carrying a bag and cleaning the clubs and occasionally being blamed when your player hits a bad shot because of something you didn't do.

Thank you to all the caddies in the world. You people are saints. Now, could you go grab me a banana?

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