The RBC Canadian Open was set up for a thrilling finale on Sunday, with a number of big names, like Rory McIlroy, in contention at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.
However, it was Olympic bronze medalist, C.T. Pan, who was drawing the attention, with Pan forced to change his caddie after his usual bagman, Mike “Fluff” Cowan, was injured midway through the final round.
Not all heroes wear capes, but some wear bibs.RT to thank Paul Emerson for stepping up in caddie relief! @ctpangolf | @PGATOUR | #RBCCO pic.twitter.com/losw6kPmNGJune 2, 2024
You may wonder why this is classed as drama. Well, after receiving medical attention, Pan was forced to switch caddies, with Cowan unable to continue. What then transpired included a local fan caddying for two holes, before Pan switched his bagman two more times.
In total, Pan had four caddies on Sunday; these were Cowan, local fan Paul Emerson, Michael Campbell, and then Al Riddell, Paul Barjon’s caddie. After his two-hole stretch, Emerson stated: “I helped Fluff get the bib off, threw it on and started walking up the hole."
So, who exactly was Emerson? Well he once caddied for a friend in a pro-am at the LPGA’s CPKC Women’s Open, but Emerson was literally a fan on the ground in Hamilton, with his two-hole career on the bag ending with a birdie on the third and a bogey on the fourth.
The man of the hour: Paul Emerson of Aurora, Ont., walks through the series of events that led to him carrying the bag for C.T. Pan. He did so for two holes before someone from caddie services came and relived him. pic.twitter.com/ibgWR5qX1EJune 2, 2024
Slightly perplexed by the situation, Pan's playing partner, Shane Lowry, humorously quipped “Fourth caddie? That’s a f*****g record now”, on one of the tee boxes, with the drama not ending there for Pan!
Going out in a one-under 34 on the front nine, Pan then made bogey on the 11th, before a 120-yard eagle hole-out on the 12th moved him up the leaderboard. Eventually, he would finish level-par for the back nine, as a one-under 69 put him just outside the top-35.
A roller-coaster day for @CTPanGolf continues. With a fill-in caddie on the bag, Pan holes out for eagle from 121 yards @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/qsVCsWj4WdJune 2, 2024
As for Pan's caddie, Cowan, Golf Channel reported that the injuries were “non-serious", with the 76-year-old veteran receiving medical attention after he slipped. It was only recently confirmed that Cowan had moved to Pan on a full-time basis, after he split with long-time partner, Jim Furyk.
