(L) Scottie Scheffler hugs Ted Scott on the Olympics. (R) John Ellis on the Tour Championship.
Getty Photos
The Indiana Pacers’ Tyrece Haliburton went viral after the Olympics by hilariously making mild of his lack of taking part in time throughout Staff USA Basketball’s run to Olympic gold.
“Once you ain’t do nun on the group challenge and nonetheless get an A,” Haliburton wrote on Twitter, together with a photograph of his gold medal.
Haliburton didn’t play any significant minutes for Staff USA, however was nonetheless given a medal for being on the profitable staff.
That doesn’t occur in Olympic golf, as, for instance, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott, didn’t obtain something for serving to Scheffler to Olympic gold. You can argue Scott performed an entire lot extra significant minutes than Haliburton did.
Lacking medals, podium tears, brutal commutes: 6 takeaways from Olympic Golf
Scott’s fellow Staff USA caddie, John Ellis, the looper for Wyndham Clark, needs to see that change. He says caddies for Olympic medalists must be getting medals too.
“I imply, it’s a part of the staff, proper?” Ellis advised GOLF in an interview this previous week. “Like in basketball, some guys don’t play, you’re nonetheless a part of that staff. So I’d prefer to see sooner or later the caddie possibly be part of it. I do know it’s onerous as a result of then the swim coach would possibly say they deserve it. Not that they do or don’t, however we’re really in it. I’d prefer to assume someday it may occur. However in the end, it’s about our guys and we’re simply attempting to assist them get a medal or play their greatest golf.”
GOLF chatted with Ellis on various matters to get a way of what the Olympics was like for himself and the opposite caddies.
[This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.]
GOLF: You simply got here again from the Olympics in Paris. What’s completely different from the PGA Tour?
Ellis: So far as the golf and the tournaments, it’s not an excessive amount of, but it surely was an unbelievable expertise. It really blew me out of the water. , I simply assumed it will be basically simply one other golf event and stepping on that first tee, representing your nation and listening to the USA chants and even the opposite nations’ chants, it simply appears a lot greater. And, you recognize, it was simply so cool to be part of clearly, after we’re right here [in Memphis], you recognize, you’re taking part in for your self.
GOLF: What was the dynamic like between you and the opposite Staff USA caddies through the video games? Was there a staff environment for you guys?
Ellis: A hundred percent. We performed our observe rounds collectively and I’ve by no means seen a lot good banter forwards and backwards and rooting for one another. It was Wyndham and Scottie every day towards Xander [Schauffele] and Collin [Morikawa] and so they had nice matches. It was simply so cool to see the highest 4 People proper now, taking part in collectively, rooting for one another, competing towards one another and in the end hoping USA comes again with medals. Clearly, we didn’t get a medal, however USA bought a medal and it appeared like all of us type of bought a medal, proper?
GOLF: Who received these matches between the 4 People?
Ellis: Scottie and Wyndham misplaced day one, received day two after which the grudge match went to Wyndham and Scottie on Wednesday, so it was actually cool.
GOLF: What’s completely different for the caddies, particularly, on the Olympics versus on the PGA Tour?
Ellis: I imply possibly we work a little bit extra collectively. I really bought sick on Tuesday after which the boys took care of me. They’re like, ‘Hey, we’ll assist Wyndham round.’ Hear, the fellows out listed below are wonderful, however you recognize you’re out right here on your staff and we assist one another, however you recognize while you’re doing it for the Olympics, it’s like I stated, all of us attempt to assist one another. So the boys have been variety sufficient to take care of me and if I noticed one thing on the course, I might say one thing.
GOLF: How a lot of the Video games did you get to soak up? Or was all of it enterprise?
Ellis: Thursday or Wednesday evening, JJ Jakovac, Collin Morikawa’s caddie, and I went to swimming which was an superior environment. We bought to see the French man win two gold medals, break a world report. We bought to see [Katie] Ledecky win the 1500. It was simply so electrical to be part of that. It was simply the good factor. After which Sunday evening, Wyndham, his girlfriend and I went to the 100-meter race and watched Noah Lyles win the 100-meter run and some different occasions. These two occasions have been fairly epic and Wyndham was fortunate sufficient to get us good seats. In that environment, I felt like I may run a 4.3 [second] 40 [yard-dash]!
GOLF: Was there something you took away from watching all of those nice athletes?
Ellis: Simply the work and dedication and all that they put in. , we now have completely different tournaments week in and week out and so they put all this effort and time for the 100 meter, say for 9 seconds, for 4 years.
GOLF: You will have all these medals being given out in numerous sports activities, however in golf, there’s only one competitors and simply the golfer will get the medal. Do you assume the caddies of the medal winners also needs to get medals?
Ellis: I do. I imply, it’s a part of the staff, proper? Like in basketball, some guys don’t play, you’re nonetheless a part of that staff. So I’d prefer to see sooner or later the caddie possibly be part of it. I do know it’s onerous as a result of then the swim coach would possibly say they deserve it. Not that they do or don’t, however we’re really in it. I’d prefer to assume someday it may occur. However in the end, it’s about our guys and we’re simply attempting to assist them get a medal or play their greatest golf.
GOLF: In golf, we normally simply have a good time the winner, however we pay out the whole area. On the Olympics, we have a good time the highest three gamers, however these are the solely three who take away any prizes. How completely different is that to consider through the spherical?
Ellis: , this week [in Memphis] there’s just one winner. Effectively within the Olympics there are basically three winners. Clearly the gold is the final word. However to me, silver and bronze are basically the identical factor. And in case you’re sitting on that podium, you’ve received. I feel that’s the best way Wyndham checked out it too.
GOLF: Do you assume that’s actually been embraced?
Ellis: The environment, the individuals, the hooting and hollering, the best way the fellows confirmed their emotion, the nerves that some guys present, you could possibly inform it meant lots. It needs to be embraced to any extent further. Everybody’s going to wish to make LA [2028] simply due to that.
Saxx underwear
GOLF: Altering matters a bit, that is 12 months two for Saxx’s sponsorship deal with a number of Tour caddies and 12 months one for you, they gave you some stars and stripes underwear for the Olympics, do you might have a method for while you break them out? Are they only for U.S. holidays?
Ellis: No! They’re within the common rotation now. I freaking love these ones. I get reminded of the Olympics each time I put it on. I really feel like we reside in the perfect nation on the earth, however the Olympics goes to go down as one of many coolest experiences of my life, it doesn’t matter what occurs. And, anytime I get to throw on the Olympic lingerie, I’m dialed.
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GOLF: Did you ever assume when you have been teaching at Oregon, ‘Hey, someday I’m gonna mannequin underwear whereas caddying for among the best gamers on the earth’?
Ellis: No, by no means. Wyndham at all times jokes, and clearly, Wyndham is a reasonably handsome man and his agent does properly with the women and between the three of us, he jokes each time he sees certainly one of them, ‘God, who would of considered the three of us, you’d be the underwear mannequin?’ I used to be like, ‘I’ll eat your coronary heart out, child. Someday you’ll get there.’
GOLF: There’s solely been a handful of caddie sponsorships earlier than this, what do you assume the attraction is now?
Ellis: I feel it’s sensible. The caddies are normally a few of the extra outspoken on Tour and I feel it’s been superior for us, however then even a few of the manufacturers. We get to point out another personalities and the businesses get to have extra enjoyable with us than possibly a few of the gamers as a result of they’re critical and might’t do a few of the obligations that we are able to do.
