“I’m Just Going to Have Fun”: The $7.8 Million Event Stages an Unbelievable Journey of a Caddie as He Gears Up to Face His Former Boss

In golf, caddies usually accompany a golfer to provide suggestions for better gameplay besides carrying their bags. It is no surprise that a lot of these caddies are impressive at the game and have good knowledge about the golf course. But what if a caddie turns a golfer on the greens and competes with the former team-mate?

Alex Gaugert is one such regular caddie who secured a spot along with his former boss Erik van Rooyen at the forthcoming $7,800,000 PGA Tour event. Let’s delve deeper to know the captivating story behind Alex’s unbelievable journey.

Alex Gaugert pulls off the incredible with qualification

In an impressive display of skill, Gaugert earned himself a spot in his first-ever PGA Tour event. The 2023 3M Open will be held at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, beginning on Thursday, July 27. It’s all the more special as the caddie took the red eye and won’t be carrying South African golfer Van Rooyen’s bag this time. Instead, they will be competing against each other in the same group.

When the producer, as can be seen in the video above, asked the caddie-turned-golfer about his game this week he said that although expectations will be high, he would like to enter the game with zero expectations. “Eh, I don’t know. I’m just going to have fun.” 

ALSO READ– ‘Want To Loop’: 2 Years After His Maiden Victory, PGA Tour Pro Faces an Awkward Competition From a Close Person

What adds an intriguing twist to Gaugert’s debut is his relationship with Van Rooyen. The two talented golfers were once teammates at the University of Minnesota. Since 2019, Gaugert had been serving as Van Rooyen’s caddie, and their partnership has already yielded success as they secured a victory at the Scandinavian Open together.

Proud Van Rooyen is in search of a caddie

Van Rooyen’s tweet reflects his joy for Gaugert’s achievement and his need for a new caddie for the tournament. It’s interesting to see the golfer seeking assistance from the Twitterverse. “So my caddie @lil_gaugs just qualified for the @3MOpen! What a STUD!!! Soooooooo anyone want to loop this week?!@PGATOUR.”

For Van Rooyen, the current PGA Tour season hasn’t been as successful as he had aspired. Having participated in a total of 23 tournaments in the 2022-23 season as of July 2023, he will be desperate to turn things around and find his stride on the golf course alongside his former caddie.

The news of Caddie Alex Gaugert making his debut on the PGA Tour event and competing against his former teammate Erik van Rooyen at the 3M Open is filled with excitement and camaraderie. Don’t you think Van Rooyen’s tweet seeking a caddie adds a unique twist to the narrative? Drop your comments down below.

Watch this story: ‘Change has to happen’: PGA Tour’s Latest Announcement Gets a Quirky Approval From Paige Spiranac