Health fears for bagmen at gruelling Ryder Cup

09/26/2023 Golf

Concerns raised over health of caddies at the Ryder Cup due to gruelling hills and blistering temperatures in Rome

  • Caddies Mick Donaghy and Duane Bock both struggled with the heat in practice 
  • The course is regarded as one of the toughest, physically, in Ryder Cup history
  • Some of the caddies may be asked to do 36 holes on each of the first two days 

Concerns have been raised over the health of caddies at the Ryder Cup – thanks to a combination of gruelling hills and stifling heat.

The forecast for the weekend is for temperatures close to 30 Celsius in Rome which, coupled with the varying contours at Marco Simone, could spell danger for bag men.

On Tuesday, burly pair Mick Donaghy and Duane Bock – who caddy for Tyrell Hatton and Sepp Straka – were spotted struggling in the sunshine during practice rounds.

The course is regarded as one of the toughest, physically, in the history of the Ryder Cup. It features a number of severe climbs, notably on the 11th up to the 12th where spectacular views of the city beneath can be taken in at the summit. 

The walk from the 17th green to the 18th tee is steep and comes at the end of may well be a tough time for the bag carriers.

Concerns have been raised over the health of bagmen at the Ryder Cup in Rome

Team Europe captain Luke Donald has considered ways to lighten the load on the caddies 

Caddie Mick Donaghy (left) poses next to Tyrrell Hatton (right) in the blistering Tuesday heat

Some caddies may be asked to do 36 holes on each of the first two days and Europe captain Luke Donald said he could pool the group to ensure rotation and rest while players could use lighter bags. Europe’s vice captains will follow groups on buggies carrying bottles of water.

‘We have enough people there to fill in if someone can’t do 36 holes, that has all been thought about,’ said Donald.

‘The players have the option to do carry bags if they want, that was an option two years ago. 

‘A lot of the caddies don’t like to, they think it carries a bit strange and it’s something they’re not used to. We’ll have a lot of buggies with space to store all their stuff to try and lighten the bags as much as possible.’  

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