Bandon’s Tim Tucker A Prime Example of Local Knowledge

Tim Tucker is usually a caddie at the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. But Saturday, he shot a first round 70 to rank among the leaders at the Mid-Amateur. (Eric Yaillen/Oregon Golf Association).

Bandon, Ore. – Tim Tucker scratched his chin, calculating the number of times he used his putter from off the green at Bandon Trails golf course on Saturday.

He took a short lag and then said: “Five.”

The answer about how many shots it saved him came quicker than a slick putting surface: “Five,” he said again.

The pride and certainty well up because Tucker of nearby Coos Bay is a five-year employee of the more than 300 caddies in the program at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.

Jason Humphrey of Coos Bay is the other Bandon caddie who has qualified. He shot 78,

With five birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey, the 39-year-old Tucker shot 1-under-par 70 and credited his score to efficient use of local knowledge.

“It did help,” Tucker said of his experience at ‘the Trails.’ “The biggest thing that helps me is that we putt from everywhere when most people hit wedges and stuff. The grass is so fast it’s almost like being on the green even though you are off. It was good lag putting. I made some great lag putts.”

Following a strong day, he wants to make the most of the opportunity in his first Mid-Amateur and after regaining his amateur status in September of 2006.

“I’ve been working hard on it,” Tucker said. “I felt pressure just to get in. Now, I want to make match play.”

He had a good friend, Jason Domingos on his bag. Domingos is also a Bandon Dunes caddie.

“He’s like a family member to me,” Tucker said of Domingos. “He’s just not old enough (to play in the Mid-Am). We have a bunch of great players here and lots of good friends.”

Tucker likes Bandon Trails the best of the three courses, “by far.” But it wasn’t love at first sight.

“When I first started going around I didn’t like it,” Tucker said. “But the more I played it, the more I got into it. I started paying attention to golf course architecture, which I never did before. I love Bandon Dunes because David Kidd is just such a nice guy. What he did with that golf course…If that golf course wasn’t here, these other golf courses wouldn’t be as good.”

While Tucker may be have born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, he feels a need to play the course the way architects Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw envisioned – as those in the United Kingdom do with the ball on the ground.

“My grandfather is an O’Grady,” Tucker said. “I don’t know if that helps but I know being here five years helps.”

He first caddied at The Robert Trent Golf Club in 1993. “I kind of did that part time as a golf pro, so I could make some money and pay the bills,” Tucker said.

He’s expanding his horizons a little because he and two other caddies – Domingos and Scott Curry are going to open a putter studio in Bandon.

“I work for guy named Dave Edel,” Tucker said. “He knows more about putting...He’s got the ticket. He builds putters and we are going to open a studio.”

Tucker stresses the need to thank all the people at Bandon Dunes from caddie master Ken Brooks to director of golf John Grothe to owner Mike Keiser.

 “They gave me the opportunity to work here,” Tucker said. “That has been huge for my family and also for my golf game.”

Story written by Pete Kowalski, USGA Media Relations. E-mail him with questions and comments at pkowalski@usga.org.