Caddy worked for more than half a century on the battlefield of Masters
As of 2023, Augusta National will have 100 years of operation, and the Masters - the major owned exclusively by this stadium - will have 99 years of presence when it kicks off on April 6. Before Jackson, Willie Peterson, the deceased caddy, holds the record for seniority in combat support. Peterson began working at Augusta National in 1949, ending in 1983, the same year that the court abolished the rule that all players use the field's caddy during the Masters. Therefore, the Peterson time series works at 34 periods.
Jackson was born in 1947, when he was 11 years old, he had to carry a bag of clubs to earn money to help his family, "starting a business" at Augusta Country Club. In 1960, he transferred to Augusta National. At that time, Jackson had just dropped out of school because he did not have money to buy the required uniforms from the school. At his new job, Jackson earns $5 base salary, plus $10-15 bonus for each bag-carrying. After finishing work, he brought home all his income to help his mother raise one brother and seven sisters.
In 1961, Jackson was assigned to serve famous member Jack Stephens. That was luck, helping Jackson "change his life" both initially and later. Because Stephens pays Jackson 500 USD per week for working from Thursday to Sunday while his mother only earns 5 USD for a day as a maid.
Also in 1961, Jackson once followed Stephens "actual battle" with US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and current President of Augusta National Cliff Roberts. "The president asked me 'why doesn't my son go to school?' Stephens replied, 'Don't worry, just let him study,'" Jackson recently told Golf.com. Soon after, Stephens arranged for Jackson to be homeschooled and graduated from high school at the age of 17.
Jackson stuck with Stephens throughout the 1960s and then became close. It was Stephens who used his personal reputation to create the premise for Jackson to become famous in the professional caddy world, especially at the Masters.
Jackson first played the Masters at the 1961 tournament, helping Billy Burke to finish the 3rd in the inaugural 1934. Burke taught Jackson basic principles such as where to stand when the player hits and puts, which fairway to find the ball... But Jackson only learned two rounds that time, because Burke didn't pass the cut.
In the following years, Jackson accumulated more experience in reading green characteristics and analyzing wind. At Augusta National, Jackson noticed that many people misread the 12th green because they thought it was flat and the grass was uniform in the direction of growth. However, he discovered that the 12th hole putting line, if directed to the 13th hole, the ball will meet the reverse grass.
At the 1964 Masters, Jackson assisted Australia's Bruce Devlin. At the finish line, Devlin teamed up with contemporary star Gary Player and was three strokes from the top of the table. On the par3 4th hole, Jackson advised playing with a 4 iron, but Devlin insisted on a 5 iron.
Player disagrees with Devlin when he hears the argument but can't advise directly because the law doesn't allow it. The player conveyed an indirect message by going to the front of the transmitter area and pretending to calculate the distance and wind direction to make the young opponent recalculate the use of iron 5.
But Devlin asked Player to get out of the way and tried to play with that tree. The ball entered the bunker in front of the green, resulting in a triple bogey for Devlin. In the end, Devlin finished fourth.
By the 1970 Masters, Jackson supported Player, by accident. Before that tournament, outside Augusta National there was a crowd protesting against apartheid in South Africa - Player's hometown. However, the player Jackson was scheduled to serve lashed out at the protest. Therefore, Jackson refused to work with him and prepared to take time off work.
However, the day before the opening round, Player's caddy wanted to quit due to death threats. Jackson finally agreed to help Player after listening to the explanation of the situation and knowing the level of the target audience.
In the real battle, Player reached a high level, standing in T1 with Billy Casper and the last group when he finished the 17th hole in the last round. On hole 18, Player played down the middle of the fairway and asked Jackson what type of club for the second shot. Jackson suggested iron 5 but Player decided to use iron 6.
With that choice, the Player gets into a bunker in front of the green. Before escaping the trap, Player tells his assistant to go to the green to hold the flag so that he can hit the target. The ball goes over the hole on the third shot and Player scores a bogey. That mistake caused Player to miss the extra hole ticket to close the championship with Littler and Casper. In the end, Casper won the cup and the "Green Jacket" at the 1970 Masters. After the tournament, Jackson said: "Gary listened to me for 71 holes, but the last hole didn't."
The next period, Jackson thought he would fight Player again. But near the opening day, regular boss Stephens suggested Jackson coordinate with others, even convincing with money. It was an implicit message for Jackson to understand that Player didn't ask for him.
In 1973, Jackson quit Augusta National to work as a full-time assistant and take care of Stephens' properties in West Palm Beach and Little Rock in Florida. This process took place over 10 years. Although not an Augusta National employee, Jackson still worked at the Masters thanks to Stephens' power.
In 1976, Jackson first supported Ben Crenshaw. From then on, the two sides collaborated until the 2015 Masters, when Crenshaw retired from the tournament. During those 39 years, Jackson twice helped Crenshaw crown (1984, 1995), only missing the 2000 period because of colon cancer.
Jackson showed care for Crenshaw, even in his partner's club set. In 1982, the Masters was postponed because of heavy rain. The organizers did not have enough room to hold the bag for all the players, so they had to stack them on top of each other.
The next day, only Crenshaw's club bag was dry, the rest was still wet. Jackson explained that he knew of a small room with a private key because of his good relationship with the golf equipment department on the course. And so, Jackson has a place to store and dry his partner's work tools.
The only disagreement between Jackson and Crenshaw occurred at the 1989 Masters. At the end of that period, Crenshaw entered the 17th hole with a T1. Jackson said the outcome of the penultimate hole would be decisive and advised a pitching wedge to enter the green, but Crenshaw used a 9 iron. As a result, the ball crossed the green into a difficult position, causing Crenshaw to finish the bogey and then lose the hole. third hand. In the end, Nick Faldo was crowned after a duel with Scott Hoch.
In 1983, Augusta National ended the rule that players must use the court's caddy when competing in the Masters. That decision cost the bag-carrying team a significant loss of income - between $500 and $1,200 during the week of the tournament. One of the top caddy at the time said bitterly to Jackson, "Carl. I've come to the conclusion that many white players would rather team up with caddy of the same color and lose than win against the blacks."
Jackson, now 76, lives in Arkansas and holds the position of caddy coordinator at Alotian Golf Club. This place is owned by Warren - the son of the old "boss" Stephens. Stephens served as President of Augusta National from 1991-1998, died in 2005.
