Sahl finds his place as a caddie

Bob Weeks

TSN Senior Reporter

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As a young golfer growing up in Moose Jaw, Sask., Danny Sahl always imagined himself walking down the fairways at major championships.

On Thursday he’ll do just that at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

Of course this isn’t the first time Sahl has been inside the ropes at a major, he’s done the same thing at the Masters.

The only difference between that childhood dream and today’s reality is that the 37-year-old isn’t playing these majors, he’s carrying a golf bag, working as a caddie.

This week, he’ll be toting for Vijay Singh a two-time winner of the PGA Championship.

Sahl has gradually made the transition to his new job over the last five years and couldn’t be happier.

“When I was playing, people respected my game and always asked me for swing advice,” Sahl stated. “I became very knowledgeable about the swing. I began to ask myself what I would do if I didn’t play. I thought I might teach, but for me, the next best thing is caddying. I feel like I’m moving in the right direction doing that.”

Sahl was a talented player growing up, good enough to play for Canada at international competitions and earn a scholarship to Kent State University.

After school, he turned professional and embarked on the Canadian Tour where his best season came in 2011. He won the Syncrude Boreal Open in Fort McMurray, Alta., and finished ninth on the tour’s Order of Merit.

But after that, his game began to slide and his playing opportunities became fewer.

“My career wasn’t going the planned way,” Sahl stated. “The only other option for me to stay in the game at a high level was caddying.”

Sahl had carried a bag before, working for his college teammate Ben Curtis in 2003. Together, they finished 12th at the Western Open, which was good enough to earn Curtis an exemption into the British Open.

Curtis stunned the field that week by winning the Claret Jug although Sahl wasn’t on the bag.

At the Honda Classic in 2012, he met up with Mike Weir, who he knew through various Canadian events. Weir happened to be looking for a new caddy and Sahl offered his services, setting off a five-year relationship.

“I got on his bag when he was battling injuries and struggling to find a swing that would work for him,” Sahl recounted. “It was tough, but I gained his trust and was able to help him with his swing. It was an amazing experience.”

Sahl also says that Weir taught him a great deal about the art of caddying. He gained experience in that fine line of when to be firm with his player and when the player needed support. He also learned when to just be quiet.

He said that Weir is an emotional player who expects a lot of his caddie and that helped drive him to a different level in his new profession.

Hard work, preparation and commitment aren’t just qualities for golfers, but also those carrying the clubs.

“You’re not just a caddie,” said Sahl. “You’re part swing coach, part psychologist. At times you’re there as a coach. It’s amazing how much they rely on you. I know what to look for now when things aren’t going right on the golf course and I try to get him back in tune when things aren’t going right.”

Weir praised Sahl for the time they spent together, a partnership that took them to the Masters and scores of other PGA Tour events.
 
“Danny is an experienced professional whose knowledge of how to play makes him invaluable in helping a player make the best decisions possible under any situations we encounter as professionals,” Weir said.

As Sahl’s experience and talent grew, and Weir’s playing opportunities lessened, he became a sought after man. For a while, he helped rising star Cory Conners, a young Canadian who was trying to get established on the Web.com Tour.

With Sahl’s guidance, Conners posted two top-10s at the start of the 2017 season, important finishes that secured his playing status for the remainder of the year.

Not long after that, however, another major champion came calling to see if he’d be interested in working and Sahl jumped at the chance to work for Vijay Singh.

And it got off to a great start with the duo finishing second in the first start together at the Senior PGA Championship.

Since then, the partnership has solidified and Sahl has helped Singh get to some good performances, including a recent tie for 14th at the RBC Canadian Open.

“I really enjoy it,” Sahl stated of working for the 54-year-old. “He is so knowledgeable. A lot of players go up to him and ask for advice.  He’s a first-class guy and working for him I’ve learned so much.”

Singh and Sahl have played golf together over the course of their relationship and the big Fijian has come to respect the Canadian’s talent and knows that he understands the game. That’s led to respect going both ways.
 
“He asks me if I like the club and if I don’t, I’ll tell him why,” Sahl said, emphasizing that he’s not afraid to challenge Singh’s thinking.

“If he hits a good shot he compliments me. We’re gelling really well together. Not too many times we mis-club out there. And I can look at a lie and know what it’s going to do, so not too many surprises.”

Of course Singh is known as a relentless range rat and that does mean that as caddie, Sahl’s days are longer than most in his profession, but he enjoys watching his boss hit balls and being able to offer help.

Singh has no coach, so Sahl is often a second set of eyes for the veteran player.

While Sahl still hopes to play a little bit of professional golf, perhaps later this year on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada, he knows that being a caddie is now his profession. In short order, he’s shown himself to be an elite bag carrier, easily transferring his skills from hitting clubs to carrying them.

This week, he’ll be humping it around Quail Hollow and hoping he can guide Singh into a good performance.

It may not be the dream he once had of playing in a major, but for Sahl, life couldn’t be better.