B6

Peter McGuire

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He's got a major to his credit - the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach - and 19 PGA Tour victories overall.

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cindy wilson/Telegraph-Journal

PGA Tour caddie Mike Carrick, who got his start in the business as a youngster at the Riverside Country Club, is flanked by N.B. Sports Hall of Fame member Mary Ellen Driscoll and his cousin David Case, both of Rothesay.

Yet, he's never mentioned when names are bandied about as possible hall of fame inductees, whether it be our city shrine or the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame.

It'll be 38 years this fall that he took part in his first PGA Tour event. Now, at the age of 63, he's still going strong.

His name, of course, is Mike Carrick, a born-and-bred Saint Johner who learned his craft at the Riverside Country Club.

While his resumé reads like a sure-fire hall of famer, the question is, what category would he fit into?

People are inducted as either players or builders with teams falling under the 'players' category. The builder category includes coaches, officials, organizers, administrators, executive members and sponsors or patrons.

A PGA Tour caddie doesn't fit into either group. The closest might be coach. Good caddies have a way of working with their boss in tense times or offering critical advice when it comes to club selection or reading greens.

But the question should not be 'What category would you put him in?' It should be, 'How can you keep him out?'

When the topic surfaced during a recent conversation, Carrick seemed a little uncomfortable. It's not his nature to toot his own horn. That will be up to someone else. You see, in order to be inducted, he must be nominated.

If and when he is nominated, a decision by the selection committee will have to be made and perhaps an amendment of the qualifications. It could read something like this: A person who has achieved outstanding success on the highest level in his or her chosen sport, despite not being a player or builder. They can call it the Carrick Rule.

Carrick said he's never thought about it. In fact, the only reason he was aware of this year's induction ceremonies on Saturday at the Delta Brunswick in Saint John was because he received an invitation. His former phys-ed professor at the University of New Brunswick, the late John Meagher, is one of the six who will make up the class of 2009.

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CATCHING UP: The last time we checked in with Carrick, he was working for Korean Y.E. Yang at the end of last season. He rejoined Australian Mark Hensby at the 2008 PGA Tour Qualifying School but Hensby failed to get past the second stage. Yang then set Carrick up with fellow Korean Sang Moon Bae, who had qualified for the final stage.

Bae didn't get his PGA Tour card but did receive a sponsor's exemption to the Sony Open in Hawaii back in January and he invited Carrick along. They were paired with tour rookie Matt Borchert. After chatting with Borchert's caddie over their two days together, Borchert's caddie asked Carrick for his business card. One thing led to the next, Borchert's caddie left to take a 'real' job and Carrick was summoned. Borchert has played in nine events this year, making just two cuts, only one with Carrick on the bag.

Borchert, 32, is not in the field for this week's event - The Memorial - but Carrick said he's not discouraged.

"I really feel the kid's got some talent," Carrick said. "The main thing is to believe in himself out there. I've told him, it's a long process. He has to take his time and be patient with it. It's really close. I think we'll start to see results sooner rather than later."

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NO END IN SIGHT: It was the fall of 1971 when Carrick worked his first PGA Tour event with Jay Dolan. He's worked for many players since but had his most success with Tom Kite, who won 16 times with Carrick at his side, including the 1992 U.S. Open. Having just turned 63 on May 10, you'd think he might consider packing it in soon. He is, after all, among the top five elder statesmen in the brotherhood of muling. He said Bart Bryant's caddie is 64 and a couple of others are the same age as him. "I haven't really set a time line on it. I can see doing it for a couple more years. It helps keep you young with all of the exercise and fresh air. I still enjoy it."

Peter McGuire is the city editor of the Telegraph-Journal. His Tee to Green column appears on Tuesdays during golf season. He can be reached by email at mcguire.peter@telegraphjournal.com or by phone at (506) 645-3268.