Legendary caddie Dave Musgrove passes away

 

       Caddie Dave Musgrove and Sandy Lyle after the Scot's Open championship victory.

FROM BERNIE McGUIRE

Secretary, Association of Golf Writers

I am learning via tweets that legendary and extremely popular caddie Dave Musgrove has passed away at the age of 74.

Dave was very well known to so many AGW members and it is very sad to learn of his passing.

He always was a welcome visitor to European Tour media centres and I recall many times travelling with Dave and being entertained for hours by his wonderful tales.

'Mussie,' for nine years, was on Sandy Lyle's bag including when Sandy captured The Open and the Masters, and his stint with Lee Janzen yielded two US Open titles,

Dave caddied for so many others including four years with Seve Ballesteros, and, given Seve's notorious relationship with caddies, four years was like a lifetime.

It's reported that when Dave arrived on the final green at the 1970 Open at Royal Lytham, Seve said he could take four putts and still win, but Dave responded, "No you can't! I've a bet on you to finish under par!"

He once is known to have said of Bernard Langer: "when he practises on his own, he can hold up a four-ball."

There is also the tale of the father of then 15-year old Carly Booth suggesting that Dave would be the ideal caddie for his daughter in the 2008 Curtis Cup at the Old Course, and no doubt hoping Dave's input could also help the team end a long losing streak to the Americans.

Enter the Ladies Golf Union who considered it 'might be an unfair advantage' to the team if the youngest-ever GB and I qualifier had someone of Dave's legendary stature caddieing in the Curtis Cup.

Dave responded: "Having spent most of my career being called a liability, I can't tell you how proud I am that someone now thinks me an unfair advantage."

Such was Dave's well-known dry wit.
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RIP 'Mussie'.

 

Bernie McGuire

Secretary, AGW