What’s it like to caddie for Rickie Fowler? His looper explains

PGA Tour caddie Ricky Romano has years of expertise being on the bag for gamers like Ben Crane, Jason Kokrak and Aaron Wise. But it wasn’t till final yr that Romano linked up along with his highest-profile boss to date: World No. 24 Rickie Fowler.

While each player-caddie relationship is exclusive, Fowler’s starpower makes being his looper a problem in new methods. On this week’s episode of Subpar, Romano instructed hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz what it’s been like to be by Fowler’s facet over the previous yr.

“Rick’s fans are amazing,” Romano mentioned. “They’re very respectful for essentially the most half. We go abroad and guys get somewhat chippy, need to take a shot at him, this and that. But for essentially the most half, I simply gotta inform ’em, be quiet, transfer again somewhat bit. Because everyone desires to get shut to Rick. They need to contact him, they need to get shut, which I get, I perceive. Rick’s Rick.

“But the fans are amazing and it’s so cool to be out there amongst all that, and just taking all that in,” he continued. “And really, I don’t really get to enjoy it all that much, because, like, we’re in the heat of the battle. The fans are there, and this and that, and everyone’s yellin’ and screamin’ and hootin’ and hollerin’.”

Despite all these potential distractions, Romano mentioned that Fowler stays steadfastly respectful — a trait he’s been recognized for since he first burst on the PGA Tour scene.

“Rick is amazing to caddie for,” Romano mentioned. “Just the way that he treats you, opposed to other guys I’ve worked for, who can give it to you bad. Which I understand. You’ve got to give it to somebody. You’re hitting the shots, but if it’s not you, it’s me. I get it. I totally get it. But Rick’s not like that. Rick is different.”

“He’s one of the classiest out there, there’s no doubt,” Knost remarked.

“Without a doubt,” Romano concurred. “It’s true. The guy is such a genuinely nice, good dude. And I can say that — it’s not a made-up thing. It’s not like, people are like, he’s been grilled on this, this is how you have to act. This is Rick, this is how he acts. He just gets it. It’s very special to caddie for Rick, and I don’t take it for granted at all.”

Romano has had a front-row seat to Fowler’s resurgent play during the last yr, throughout which he posted eight prime 10s, together with a win on the Rocket Mortgage and an in depth name on the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club.

“The thing that I believe I help Rick with, when he’s in between shots or like he’s not really sure what to hit, I know what he needs to hit,” Romano mentioned. “I don’t read a lot of his putts, which, if I was playing and I had someone caddying for me, I’m not asking them to read my putts either. It’s such a feel thing, you’re seeing the line, this and that. That may be just me, but that’s kind of how Rick goes about it as well. I think that’s good.”

For extra from Romano, together with how an Instragam DM was instrumental in getting him the job with Fowler, try the total episode beneath.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of feminine varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everybody on the masthead. She can out-hustle them within the workplace, too, the place she’s primarily accountable for producing each print and on-line options, and overseeing main particular tasks, corresponding to GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview collection, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in each within the journal and in video type on GOLF.com.