Ahead of this year’s US Open, Austin Kaiser (Xander Schauffele) and John Ellis (Windham Clark) sat down with Suburban hosts Colt Nost and Drew Stoltz to talk shop.
On the agenda: their history with their players, late-night shenanigans, Ellis’ status as a mini-tour legend, and an assessment of the playing ability of some of their peers.
But first, Ellis shared a few words about Clark that turned out to be very prophetic.
“It was knocking on the door,” Ellis said, responding to Knost’s question about whether Ellis was surprised by Clark’s first PGA Tour win at the Wells Fargo Championship. “I really felt like he was ready this year. I know he was close the last few years, or he had chances to win.
“Talent wise, wise, who he is as a golfer, sure should have won,” Ellis continued. “I thought his maturity level would have to be where he is now to win golf tournaments. And he’s there. And I expect him to win several golf tournaments. I really think he’s one of the best players in the world based on what he’s doing now. I don’t think he was ready to do that a few years ago.” , even with the talent and skills he had.”
Sure enough, Clark won his first major championship at the Los Angeles Country Club this past Sunday, just days after this interview took place.
Throughout the interview, Knost and Stoltz feed Kaiser and Ellis questions about their traveling camper life. And although both caddies demurred when Knost asked them to name the professional who would be most likely to split the dinner bill with his caddy, Kaiser and Ellis agreed on an answer to the following topic: which caddy is most likely to make the cut at a PGA Tour event.
“It depends on the path,” said the Kaiser. “If you go to a short-hitters training course–“
Puerto Rico, I think [Max Homa’s caddie Joe] “Griner can make the cut,” Ellis said.
“But you get him like, ‘Tory South, he doesn’t have any chance,'” Kaiser said.
“Most people don’t have a chance there,” Stoltz quipped.
For more information from Kaiser, Ellis, Stoltz, and Knost, check out the full interview below.