About 10 days ago, Jonathan Fly got a text from WGC-FedEX St. Jude Invitational tournament director Darryl Smith asking whether he was available to caddie during the event.
Fly, who graduated from Evangelical Christian and Memphis and currently serves as the director of instruction at TPC Southwind, jumped on the opportunity to caddie the course he practically grew up on.
“My parents have a place over on (hole No.) 15, and I actually just moved into a house on 14, so I’ve grown up here since I was about 8 years old,” Fly said.
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Fly was paired with Aaron Rai, the English golfer ranked No. 179, who was looking for a caddie with local experience because his caddie couldn’t make the trip to Memphis. Rai said that he could tell right away that Fly knows the course inside and out.
“We came and played on Sunday and actually straight from the first tee shot, (he could point out) just a particular part in the fairway, a particular tree in the fairway, which was central, so you can tell right away that Jay knows his stuff around here,” said Rai, who was grouped with Keegan Bradley and Rafa Cabrera Bello for the first two rounds.
Fly golfed for two years at Auburn before transferring to Memphis. He played the 2012 FedEx St. Jude Classic at Southwind and finished 76th.
“I love it. I love caddying,” Fly said. “I miss playing, and I miss the competition, so it kind of gets my juices going. And I just love the game and being around great players. Obviously, there are world-class players here, so it’s fun to watch.” said Fly.
Rai said Fly’s knowledge of the course has been useful during prep sessions.
“(Fly) has pretty much mapped out where the pins are roughly going to be in certain spots,” Rai said. “Little things like airing on certain sides of the fairway, pins that you can take on, pins that you can’t.”
