April 17, 2006
ORLANDO - At the age of 20, UCF redshirt freshman golfer James Dunkley has already been to the mountain top - at least when it comes to the world of professional golf. He recently spent a few days inside the ropes of a PGA TOUR event, the place where he one day hopes to make a living. This time it was as a caddy, the next time he hopes it's as a competitor.
"It was an awesome experience," Dunkley said. "I learned a lot, to be honest, especially things like course management and how to use a yardage book properly. I have a lot more respect for the caddies now because there is a lot going on."
Dunkley, who hails from Northampton, England, got to see what professional golf was like from an insider's perspective as he spent this past week caddying for family friend Ian Poulter at the Verizon Heritage at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, S.C.
"You really don't have time to sit back and take in the sights," Dunkley said. "You have to make sure the yardages are right, you are carrying the bag and that people are standing still; you have to clean the ball and make sure you are walking in the right place and get water for your player. You have to be completely aware of what the other players are doing as well. It's really quite difficult. I got more comfortable with it as the days went by, but it's a lot more than just carrying a bag."
Dunkley, a liberal studies major with a minor in marketing, has a cumulative 3.4 grade-point-average. When the idea of him caddying for Poulter came up, he sought permission from his professors and his coach at UCF to be away for a few days.
"My professors were very understanding and wished me luck," Dunkley said. "When I explained the situation to them, they realized that for someone aspiring to play golf for a living, it was an unbelievable opportunity. They were more than willing to accommodate the fact I was going to miss a couple classes.
"By asking to miss class, I thought there would be some who thought I was more interested in golf than school and school's not a priority, but that's not true," Dunkley said. "It was nice to know they understood that the chance to do something like this doesn't come around often so you need to take advantage of it."
Dunkley also found support from UCF coach Nick Clinard. "James is a great kid who works hard at his studies as well as his golf game," Clinard said. "I thought it would be an experience he would learn a great deal from and if his professors were okay with him being away for a few days, I was in favor of the idea. I knew it would benefit him to see up close what kind of talent the players on the PGA TOUR have and what kind of commitment it takes to get to that level. Hopefully he can share some of that insight with his teammates."
Although it was the first time he had done so on the PGA TOUR, this was not the first time Dunkley had caddied for Poulter. In fact, his love for the game of golf can be traced to his childhood in England when at the age of 12, Dunkley was first asked by his father, Paul, to caddy for Poulter. The two were playing together and Poulter needed a caddy that day.
"He had just become an assistant professional and my dad had just started to help him out with some sponsorship," Dunkley said. "He took me out to the golf course and that's how I got into it. I was a young lad and he was 18-years-old and I looked up to him a lot and that's what made me decide to take up the game."
Paul, who now serves as Poulter's business manager, was helping out one aspiring golfer and creating another one in the process. "We were actually talking about that today," Dunkley said Sunday night after returning to Orlando. "We were talking about how funny it was - being in Harbour Town and he was playing the TOUR and I was in college over here."
Dunkley's week of work with Poulter started Tuesday morning when the two boarded a private jet and flew to Hilton Head and ended Sunday afternoon. Shortly after Poulter rolled in his final putt on Harbour Town's famed 18th hole, the pair again boarded a private jet and flew back.
"I had a really good time," Dunkley said. "I thought Ian and I got along well on the golf course. He was pretty relaxed. I think it was nice for him to have someone who was more of a friend on the bag. Although he was trying as hard as he normally would, it was nice that I was able to keep him relaxed some times where he normally may have lost his temper."
Poulter is from Hitchin, England, and also spends part of the year living in Orlando. He tied for 47th at the Verizon Heritage and earned $14,013 for his week's work.
"I learned a lot from Ian, especially how important putting really is," Dunkley said. "I think he was actually in the top five in the field in proximity to the hole, which is amazing, but he finished outside the top 40 in the final standings because he averaged about 30 putts per round which you can't do out there.
"Those guys are so good at just being able to get it around the golf course," Dunkley added. "Everybody had their own routine and everybody did something different preparing for the tournament so you just have to find what works for you and makes you feel comfortable."