European caddie Ricky Elliott bags a dream Ryder Cup slot…but he’s working for the Americans
Here's one Irishman hoping Darren Clarke's team don't spank the Yanks at Hazeltine next week
RICKY ELLIOTT expects plenty of stick when he carries American Brooks Koepka's bag in the Ryder Cup next week.
Irishman Elliott always hoped he could represent Europe. But now he'll be helping the opposition try and beat fellow-Irishman Darren Clarke's team at Hazeltine.
On Tour Elliott stays with Kenny Comboy and Billy Foster, and all the other European caddies, but now finds himself in a different locker room.
"I'll be getting plenty of good needle, but it's all in good fun," said Elliott, who has caddied for Koepka for the last three years.
"When it comes down to the matches, might they be a little wary in the team meeting? You just don't know. But it's all about getting the cup back to this side of the pond.
"And I'm working for the American team."
The PGA of America only began keeping records of Ryder Cup caddies in 1995. No European caddie worked for the American team in the last two decades, and no one can recall an occasion before that.
If anything, there are stories of Europeans who didn't work.
Dave Musgrove of England declined to work for Lee Janzen in 1997 at Valderrama, fearing a conflict in interest. "
Andy Sutton, the English caddie whom Ben Curtis hired when he won the British Open at Royal St. George's in 2003, didn't want to work for him at Valhalla in 2008.
American caddies have worked for European players in the Ryder Cup — Jerry Higginbotham for Sergio Garcia in 1999, and Lance Ten Broeck for Jesper Parnevik in 1999 and 2002.
Said Broeck: "I remember I was kind of concerned about doing it, but the more I spoke to Hal Sutton, he said: 'Why wouldn't you do it? That's who you work for.' And I spoke to Jesper about it a long time. This is a golf match, not a war. And it's one of the great experiences."
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So what's in store for Elliott?
"I have no worries about him," said John Wood, who caddies for Matt Kuchar. There might be some out there I would be concerned about, but not Ricky.
"I think he'll jump right into the feel of the team and be part of it. I think it would be difficult if you had somebody who had been on a European Ryder Cup team and then came into the US room. But for Ricky, it will be a fresh experience for him."
Elliott played college golf at Toledo, competing against Curtis at Kent State, and stayed in America. He lives in Florida near Graeme McDowell, one of his best friends from Portrush, and decided last year to become a US citizen.
"I had to say a sentence in English and I had to spell a word, and I just squeaked by that," Elliott said in his sing-song Irish lilt.
"There was about 80 of us in the room and 2,000 people had come to watch. I was there on my own, sitting beside a wee Chinese man waving the flag. It was cool. I've spent half my life over here. You're still always where you're from, but I'm pleased as punch to be an American citizen."
Elliott caddied for Maarten Lafeber on the European Tour, and then Curtis. He was between jobs when Koepka, who began his career on the EuroTour, received an exemption to the 2013 PGA Championship and his regular caddie had visa problems.
They've been together ever since. Koepka won in Turkey in 2014 and won the Phoenix Open the following year. He is No 22 in the world, playing in his first Ryder Cup. He never thought twice about having anyone but Elliott on his bag.
And Elliott hasn't thought twice about helping the US.