Richmond, VA is not know for being a golf destination for the PGA tour and the state of VA as a whole is noticeably absent from the Tour schedule. While this means, to see the stars of today, you will need spend several hours in the car or on a plane, The Champions Tour calls Richmond home for 1 week a year. I have been a volunteer a few times for this event and have been able to walk alongside some Hall of Famers and greats of years past. It is amazing to see how for many of these players, age has not affected their game. In 2021, I was given the opportunity to caddie during a pro-am event at Kanawha Club in Goochland, VA. I remember arriving that morning with a list of players in my mind that I would want to caddie for. Whether it was to ask them questions about their game or how they find focus in the biggest moments. When I found my name on the list, I saw that I was paired up with Wes Short Jr. This was not a name I was familiar with, so I did what anyone would do in that situation…..I googled him while I stood on the back of the range. When I approached him to introduce myself as his caddie for the day, I wasn’t sure what kind of reception I would get. The players had just arrived in to Richmond the night before from the previous weeks tournament and as most pro-ams go, the players are fulfilling a duty being out there. Wes however, seemed genuinely excited for the day and was quick to point me towards his bag and say “that’s yours for today, so don’t drop it.” We spent about 3+ hours together that day talking everything golf and some non golf as well. It was also interesting to hear how tapped in he and the other players were with what was going on with players from the PGA Tour. As the day wrapped Wes thanked me for being out there and we took this photo together. I wanted to share this story this week because I saw a clip on Golf Channel that Wes had locked up his Champions Tour card for another year after going to Q-School. Wes had a goal of playing on the Champions Tour for 10 years and by getting his card for another year, he will have achieved that. Congratulations Wes and thank you for letting me caddie for a day.

By Madison Hill