ITEM PHOTO BY SPENSER HASAK
Tom Watson, right, and his caddie, Medford resident and assistant pro at Salem Country Club, Ron Coiro, survey the 1st green during the first round of the U.S. Senior Open on Thursday.
By STEVE KRAUSE
PEABODY — Ron Coiro’s surprise gig has paid more dividends than merely pairing up on a golf course with Tom Watson.
The bigger benefit is that on days such as Thursday, when Watson wasn’t due to tee off until 2:08 in the afternoon, Coiro got to sleep in and take his time getting ready for his job.
Otherwise, he’d be getting out of bed in the middle of the night and reporting to Salem Country Club at 4:30 to prepare the course for the U.S. Senior Open.
This week, Coiro, who lives in Medford and attended Arlington Catholic High School, is Watson’s caddie for the U.S. Senior Open. For those whose idea of being a caddie extends no further than “Caddyshack,” let’s say the job is a bit more involved.
“It’s a lot more precise,” said Coiro, 21, who will graduate from Coastal Carolina in December after studying in Professional Golf Course Management. He needed an extended internship as a requirement to graduate, and will work as an assistant pro at Salem Country Club until November.
“I’ve caddied my fair share since I was a kid, and today, you have to be a lot more on the numbers, especially in PGA tour events. And it has to be exactly by the book.”
Caddies, during tournaments, are expected to know, for example, the various distances along each hole are accurate. Also, all they have to go by once the tournaments start are yardage books and pin sheets, which tell the golfers where, on the greens, the holes are located. And they have to be amateur meteorologists and be able to judge the wind accurately.
The only times caddies can use technology, such as laser range-finders, are during practice rounds Coiro said.
Watson’s regular caddie was tied up with business commitments this weekend, and when he asked the club to find him one, Coiro got the nod.
“This all developed 48 hours beforehand,” said Coiro. “It came out of nowhere, and was kind of an out-of-the-blue kind of thing, and it’s been kind of a frantic get-together.”
That’s because pros and their caddies have often had close relationships.
“It was a little different Tuesday, when we played nine holes (in the practice round),” said Coiro. “We were playing with Freddie Couples.
“I was at Augusta (the Masters) in April, and I was on the other side of the ropes watching Couples, and now here I am, inside the ropes, and I’m walking down the fairway with Freddie and Tom Watson.”
If Tuesday was a feeling-out process, Wednesday was a lot nicer.
“We played 18 Wednesday, and I think everybody felt more comfortable,” Coiro said.
Watson isn’t worried.
“Ron’s an assistant pro here and he knows the course,” Watson said. “I’m pretty simple when it comes to setting up a shot. What’s that expression? KISS? Keep it simple, stupid.”
“Tom’s been great, especially with kids (Wednesday),” Coiro said. “He let a couple of kids come inside the ropes and walk with us down to the green. If I was a 9-year-old kid, that would make me feel so good. I’d want to run home and tell my parents.
“I was really impressed with that, and glad.”
Coiro has been a golfer since he was 3 years old, when his father set up a net in the back yard and he hit into it. Later, he did the local junior Massachusetts Golf Association circuit and played four years of varsity at Arlington Catholic, the last two as captain. He also played hockey in high school, and said during his career “we got St. Mary’s as much as they got us.”
He realistic about his golf game (“the PGA tour is another level, and I’m not sure I’ll ever be there”), but wants to make a living in the sports as a club pro, and play in New England PGA tournaments.
“I definitely don’t ever want to stop playing competitive golf,” he said. “It depends on the job you get. If you get the right job, you’ll have opportunities. A lot of clubs encourage that.”