For first time, caddies steal spotlight in Skills Challenge

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Matt Achatz (left) with Rocco Mediate in the first round of the U.S. Open in June.

For two days, the caddies hit all the shots, and it capped the most memorable year in Matthew Achatz's 33-year-old life.

In February, Achatz graduated from anonymous club caddie to looper for Rocco Mediate. In June, he was on the bag when Mediate nearly pulled off an upset win over Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open. On Nov. 3, he capped the year with an invitation to play in the $800,000 ADT Skills Challenge at Miami's Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club, which featured caddies playing with their employers in a team format.

The competition was played in November, and NBC will feature four hours of coverage when it airs on Dec. 27-28. Both shows will run from 4 p.m. ET to 6 p.m. ET.

"My whole experience was unbelievable," Achatz said. "As far as the golfing experience, it was the greatest of my life. As a caddie, I would have to go with the U.S. Open, but as a player, it blew away any expectation I would have had."

Achatz was one of three regular PGA TOUR caddies invited to compete in the ADT Skills Challenge. The others, Joe LaCava and Mike "Fluff" Cowan, teamed up with Fred Couples and Peter Jacobsen. Lacava was on the bag when Couples won the 1992 Masters, and Cowan served as Jacobsen's caddie for nearly two decades. The six players took on the father-son team of Greg Norman and Greg Norman Jr.

"In the past, we have had celebrities," Jacobsen said. "This year, we had caddies, and it was as competitive and as fun as we have seen. To see the caddies compete at such a high level was really gratifying to me, because we have known these guys for so long. All the pros were giggling because the caddies perform so well. It was fun and there was an added twist to it and that was the worth and the passion for the game."

With a large purse on the line, LaCava spent much of the fall on the range whipping his game into shape, and Cowan prepared by working with Jacobsen in the days before the event. Achatz, who says he was fortunate to have his swing feeling good the week of the event, prepared by playing a few casual rounds with Mediate.

"I had him looking at my swing and I was doing my best to prepare," Cowan said. "I didn't hit many satisfying shots, so I maybe I over-prepared. Maybe preparing is highly overrated."