Attending the RBC Canadian Open PGA golf tournament in late July was a thrill of a lifetime for local men Mel Torgerson, Ken Mills and Verne Jeffrey.
It took place at the Shaugnessy Golf & Country Club in Vancouver.
What made it extra special for the die-hard golf enthusiasts was that they weren’t on the outside, looking in. The trio spent their week on the inside of the barriers working as caddies for the tournament and as spotters for CBS, sharing space with some of the biggest names in the world of golf.
Torgerson had the honour of caddying for the group that included one of Korea’s top golfers, Sunghoon Kang, as well as the group with American Jim Furyk, who was the 2010 PGA Tour Player of the Year.
Each group is made up of one pro and three amateur golfers.
While working for CBS, the trio was out on the course, relaying play and player information to the CBS production trailer so it could be used for their broadcast and for planning camera shots.
Torgerson says that being a caddy is tremendous fun, but it isn’t as easy as it looks.
“If you’re a golfer and all of a sudden you’re standing there with the best in the world, it’s incredible. Those golf bags are big, though, and you have to know your golf. You have to be able to relay information about yardage and wind back to your golfer.”
This wasn’t the first time that Torgerson has been a caddy at a major tournament.
He’s done several since 1999 when he worked at the Air Canada Championship in Vancouver.
At the end of that tournament, Torgerson wrote his phone number on a paper napkin and gave it to a crew member
from one of the big television networks, then asked him to give him a call if they ever needed help in the future.
“I got a call three months later with a welcome to work at a big tournament in Hawaii. I honestly thought the napkin would go in the garbage as soon as I left.”
Since then, he’s done the Sony Open and Mercedes-Benz Champ-ionship in Hawaii, Doral in Miami, a PGA tournament in Mexico City, a Bob Hope Classic in Palm Springs, the Canadian Open twice earlier in Vancouver and the Canadian LPGA in Vancouver.
His wife, Kim, who is also a golfer, has volunteered at various tournaments as well.
“It’s something we do together. Kim runs along with me on the outside of the ropes, but to get inside the ropes, if you’re a golfer — that’s as good as it gets.”
