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Caddie Days on the Festival Circuit

On June 7, 2019, the week before the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, "Loopers: The Caddie's Long Walk," premiered in over 100 theater locations in 30 states across the country.  In late June it was shown internationally, and on June 21 it was selected as “Best of the Fest” at Edinburgh International Film Festival; it had previously won best documentary awards from the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Newport Beach (CA) Film Festival.

It is the first serious film about the second most important role in golf’s long history, narrated by actor and former caddie Bill Murray.  It tells the story of golf from the caddie’s point of view, beginning with the first royal golfer, Mary Queen of Scots, and her supposed coining of the term “caddie.” Murray and his five brothers grew up caddying in suburban Chicago.

The film was the idea of Jim Packer, one of its executive producers. Packer, president of Worldwide TV and Digital Distribution at Lionsgate (and an avid L.A. golfer) thought the role of the caddie deserves more attention. After reading Men on the Bag, about the caddies of Augusta National, he contacted the author, Ward Clayton, former sports editor of the Augusta Chronicle. “I always heard great stories of the famed Augusta caddies, “ says Clayton, “and I wanted to find out more about them besides their famous nicknames.”

Bringing the concept to completion was not an easy process. "We spent about four years putting together Loopers,” says Jason Baffa, the director and director of photography. “Much of that was spent editing because we shot hours and hours of interviews with all types of caddies and pros. We would then work to find the archival footage to shape those stories. [Writer and editor] Carl Cramer, who cut my previous films, did a tremendous job of whittling down the focus [but] often we’d say, well geez, now we need an interview with this person or about that… so we’d go shoot more and re-open the cut. I feel lucky the producing team was patient and willing to do whatever it took to craft a good film.”

The role of the caddie is traced against the backdrop of some of the great golf courses of the game: St. Andrews, Ballybunion, Canterbury (Ohio), Bandon Dunes, Pebble Beach, and of course Augusta National. The caddies featured begin with Old Tom Morris and end with Michael Greller, Jordan Spieth’s Tour caddie. Some of the caddies covered earned only enough money to get them to their next drink;  in contrast, Greller left behind a middle-school teaching job to loop on Tour and has earned an estimated $5 million through his cut of Spieth’s winnings and some endorsement deals.  The film highlights other famous pro/caddie pairings like Bruce Edwards and Tom Watson; Mike “Fluff” Cowan and Steve Williams, who both caddied for and were fired by Tiger Woods; and Nick Faldo’s story of how he sought out and hired Fanny Sunesson, the first woman caddie on the PGA Tour.

The documentary also covers the great amateur golfer, Chick Evans, who was never a caddie himself, but whose legacy as a caddie benefactor lives on in the Evans Scholars Foundation, created in 1930 and supported by private country clubs, the Western Golf Association, the Metropolitan Golf Association Foundation and other entities across the nation.  More than 10,000 caddies have attended college on full scholarships thanks to Evans and those who’ve continued his efforts.

Baffa is particularly pleased at how well the film has been accepted by the golf community: "The reactions have been fantastic. We’re happy that the golf community appreciates the hard work that went into highlighting a somewhat non-publicized role. And a happy surprise to me is how many non-golfers have sent me notes that they aren't interested in golf but thought the film was great, especially the insight into how important these relationships have been."

The film is  available on DVD and iTunes, with delivery due in late summer, and clubs and courses can arrange to host screenings. 

--John Coyne