Ehe world of golf, like almost any sport, tends to professionalize increasingly all its areas, to the point that little by little the figure of the old school caddy is disappearing and that of someone who has previously been a professional player is prevailing.
It is the case of Jess Legarrea and Iigo Urquizucaddies of Jorge Campillo and Renato Paratore respectively, although curiously in Spain there are already several former pros who now carry the bag and offer their advice to renowned golfers. Pello Iguarn (Francesco Molinari), Xabier Gorospe (Adri Arnaus), Eduardo Larraaga (Lvaro Quiris), Diego Suazo (Nacho Elvira) the Ral Quirs (Pablo Larrazbal) are also part of this group of ‘orientors’.
Jess Gravel He is 35 years old and during his career he has been champion of Spain in lower categories, won the Doral Junior at the age of 15 in the United States and shared the European team championship in 2003 with Azahara Muoz, Beln Mozo and Lluis Garca. As a professional, he mostly moved around the Alps and the Challenge Tour. He retired at the age of 29 and took the course to be a coach. Today he carries the sticks of cacereo Jorge Campillo, whom he has known since he was a child, and with whom he has already tasted the honey of victory once on the DP World Tour.
“My dream was to be a player and I was for 11 years, but when you have an age, a family and the numbers don’t come out, you look for alternatives. I took the course to be a coach and my name was Jorge [Campillo]. I was encouraged to take the leap and I’ve been with him for three years now, “says Jess. The caddy acknowledges that his new job is changing: “The players are looking for people who are increasingly better prepared, who can provide that player, coach and caddy connection, in such a way that I can pass on good information to the whole team. This profile will be sought more in the future”admits.
Legarrea acknowledges that his relationship “is very good” with Campillo and that now it is his turn to “make Jorge a better player.” “Before I only dedicated myself to myself and now I do many things for someone else, so that they only focus on giving their best,” he says. Jess already knows very well what he has to offer: “Now it is no longer enough for me to believe something, but I have to give concrete information. This job is becoming much more than carrying a bag. There are things that because of your past experience enrich your work. For example, I can read falls on the greens well and determine the speed of the ball. Then, I have direct access to Jorge and I can make videos of him, send them to his coach and tell him how I have seen him on the field and where he has failed. I have that ability that allows me to help the technicians so that everything progresses along the same lines. I know what my player is doing”Explain.
Iigo Urquizu, 11 years of experience
Iigo Urquizu He is now 39 years old, but before that he was twice champion of Spain in lower categories and played for various national teams. He studied law and did not make the leap to the elite until he was 24 years old.
“As a professional I went through the Alps, the Challenge and played some tournaments on the European Tour. I realized that I was further from making a living on the European Tour than I thought. One day I played a tournament with Sergio García. He wasn’t at his best, but I could see so much difference between his game and mine that it opened my eyes.”reveals.
In 2012 I decided to stop competing and soon called him Alejandro Caizares. Since then he has also been in the bag of Mike Lorenzo-Vera, Guido Migliozzi, and at a previous stage with Renato Paratore, with whom he is again. Today he is a reputable caddy on the circuit: “I have been a player and I got the technical title, and when the player is technically out of adjustment, you have more knowledge than a caddy who is a handicap 12. Helps in more facets. For example, René [Paratore] He was without a coach for two months and I helped him with the technical aspect”, he says.
During his career, Urquizu understands better and better what he can contribute to golfers, and he is clear that his caddy profile offers a plus: “It gives them more confidence and you have more credibility when it comes to making some decisions in the crucial and most tense moments of the lap.”. With all the players I have worked with this is what I have noticed. That your caddy knows the game very well, I think it gives the player one more point of security”. In addition, Iigo acknowledges: “As a player, I didn’t study strategies or flag positions so much. If he had to compete now, I’m sure he would do less nonsense.”
