35-year-old Harris English has been a part of the PGA Tour since 2012. In his 12-year career, he has played in 333 events and has won 4 times. He has also been a part of the Ryder Cup and Walker Cup national teams. His most glorious season so far has been in 2020-21 where he captured the 2021 Travelers Championship and 2021 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

While his gameplay may have grown since 2021, there is one factor that has been the same back then and today. He has had the same caddie. Who is this mystery caddie who has proven to bring good luck to English? Let’s learn more about the man behind the bag for Harris English’s Black Desert Championship campaign.

The story of Eric Larson

No, we are not talking about the acclaimed author behind ‘Isaac’s Storm’ and ‘The Devil in the White City’, to name a few. We are talking about the veteran caddie who has been an expert in his field since 1991. Yes, 20+ years is a lot of experience in the field, or any profession. Before you start arguing with the database from your phone’s calculator, let us explain ourselves. The reason behind the gap in Larson’s resume is his intriguing life story.

Eric Larson was always a golf enthusiast. But he realized sooner rather than later that his skills didn’t match up with the top pros in the sport. With his passion and interest in the sport, he chose to become a caddie in 1991. His first assignment was assisting the PGA Tour legend, Ken Green. He later moved on to caddying for Mark Calcavecchia and was with him for 4 years before things started to fall.

Larson got involved in drug trafficking and was sentenced to federal prison on August 9, 1995, for 13 years. However, he was released early on December 21, 2005. The bond between him and his former boss, Mark Calcavecchia, wasn’t hindered during his days behind bars. Calcavecchia promised Larson that he would retain the caddy’s services once he was out of prison.

In 2006, Mark Calcavecchia was questioned about the promise he made to Eric Larson in an interview. Mark Calcavecchia said, “He needed something to look forward to, and I always told him, when the time came, I’d hire him up, hopefully play good, make him some money, and get him back on his feet,” said the golfer during 2006 PGA Championship as per Chron. This began Eric Larson’s second stint as a golf caddie. They celebrated a few victories together and eventually ended their professional association.

He later started caddying for Anthony Kim and Jeff Overton during their Ryder Cup journeys in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Larson finally ended up partnering with Harris English in 2017. 7 years on, their pairing seems to work for English. Let’s learn about his view regarding the veteran Appleton native caddie.

What does Harris English think about Eric Larson?

“I know he has my back, and he’ll do anything for me, and I’ll do anything for him, too. That’s the kind of relationship you build with your caddie out here,” said English in an interview with the New York Post in 2021. Harris English appreciates taking on the course challenges with Larson. He trusts Larson immensely and knows that the wealth of knowledge and experience the caddie possesses will only benefit his career as a golfer.

Harris English didn’t perform well during the 2024 Procore Championship and the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship. When he was questioned about the same in an interview during the 2024 Black Desert Championship, English stated, “Yeah, I had my coach caddie for me at the Procore. First time he ever caddied for me. He saw some things, some triggers I do on the golf course that aren’t great.”

In the same interview, Harris English also had a few more positive things to say about Eric Larson. “My regular caddie, Eric, came back last week. I probably played a little better than my score.” Continuing to acknowledge Larson’s impact on his game, English also added, “This week I feel like I’ve been rolling it really well, hitting the ball really well, and giving myself a lot of chances.”

Larson has helped many pros win throughout his career and continues to do so with Harris English with his latest victory being in 2021. That year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions win ended English’s 7-year-old drought. What a remarkable moment it was for the duo! What are your thoughts on their relationship as a bagman and a golfer? Let us know in the comments below.