Why European Tour caddie Dave

Muscroft cannot carry Carly

Booth's bag in Curtis Cup

By COLIN FARQUHARSON
There is a story in one of the newspapers this morning that Dave Muscroft, who caddied for Sandy Lyle at one time and is a very experienced European Tour bagman , was willing to caddie for Carly Booth, the youngest player in either team – but was knocked back by the Ladies Golf Union.
The article poked fun at the LGU explanation which was that Muscroft caddieing for Carly would have given not only the 15-year-old from Comrie but also the Great Britain & Ireland team an “unfair advantage over the United States team.”

The writer of the article thought there was nothing wrong in that and suggested that the LGU were living in the past.
But as the LGU director of championships Susan Simpson, pictured above by courtesy of Tom Ward, underlined at Monday’s Curtis Cup Media Day at The Duke’s Clubhouse, St Andrews:
“There is a great tradition within the Curtis Cup match that no side has home advantage with caddies,” said Susan.
“All the caddies are nominated by the host. In our case that is St Andrews Links Trust. Their caddie master has a list of 16 of his most experienced men and women caddies and there will be a caddie draw for the Curtis Cup match.
“On a given day, the names of the caddies will be pulled out and paired at random with each of the 16 GB&I and American players who will be taking part in the match.
“That is a huge tradition of the Curtis Cup, one that everyone involved wishes to remain.”
The same applies when the United States Golf Association hosts the biennial match.
That’s why no father/mother has ever been allowed to caddie for their offspring in a Curtis Cup match, even though they might have done so on a regular basis in individual tournaments under the auspices of the Ladies Golf Union or the USGA for that matter.
Perhaps it would be different in the world of professional golf where winning at all costs is the order of the day.
But the Curtis Cup was donated by the American Curtis sisters to foster golfing friendship between the countries and both the LGU and the USGA have followed that principle over the past 56 years.

Breanne Loucks, the Welsh champion and winner of all three of her ties in the Curtis Cup match at Bandon Dunes, Oregon two years ago, commented:

"We had different caddies for the practice rounds over the Old Course this week. They all know their stuff. They all know the best lines from the tee at every hole and that's where their advice is very important."