10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 22-28, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 Local caddie John Jackson is having himself one heck of a summer. Roughly a month ago, the longtime Pebble Beach looper and former CSU Monterey Bay golfer received an invitation to caddie at the PGA Championship in Rochester, New York. The offer was from Michael Block, a longtime southern California teaching professional. “I’ve known him for a while,” says Jackson. “We’ve competed against each other in the past, and I caddied for him when he was up here for the TaylorMade Invitational a couple years back, so there’s a familiarity there.” In the competitive world of professional golf, a little familiarity can be everything. The player-caddie dynamic can be very volatile and comes with a high rate of turnover. So, for many caddies, it can be all about who you know. Jackson is strong in the who-youknow department. A Pacific Grove resident and member of the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championship team at CSUMB, Jackson then played professionally for over six years with and against some of the best players in the world before returning to the Monterey Peninsula for a full-time gig at Spyglass Hill. “I just got tired of all the travel,” Jackson says. “I still love playing and I miss competing, which is part of the reason why this last month has been such a great experience.” After caddying for Block during his two practice rounds at last year’s PGA Championship at Southern Hills, where Jackson’s brother Dylan is an assistant pro, Jackson yielded his bag to Block’s son. Block went on to miss the cut, but the practice round chemistry wasn’t forgotten. “We had a good rapport at Southern Hills,” Jackson says. “So I was hoping that I’d get another opportunity.” As it turns out, this year’s PGA was the next opportunity. Notified that he’d be on Block’s bag for the entire week this year, Jackson arrived at Oak Hill with minimal expectations. “He’s a great player, but this is one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” says the caddie. “But he had his A-game, and just played incredible golf.” Block not only made the professional cut at Oak Hill, but found himself at even par and tied for 10th on the leaderboard, ahead of many of the top-ranked golfers in the world. It had been 25 years since a club professional made the top 10 after 36 holes, and the entire golf world took notice of what was happening at Oak Hill. “Once we made the cut and saw we were in contention, things really started to get nuts,” Jackson says. “The media attention was incredible. He was getting interviewed. I was getting interviewed. It was wild.” After a bit of a rough start to his final round, and a charge from eventual winner Brooks Koepka, the pair fell out of contention, but still tied for 15th. That came with a check for $288,333 for Block, with 7 percent of that going to Jackson. A video posted on social media and shared by CBS Sports showed Jackson tapping the numbers into his calculator app. In the video, Block leans in to check the figure before both celebrate their paydays. Jackson got some press, including in Sports Illustrated. While Block was featured on nearly every media outlet, from NBC’s Today Show to CNN International, golf media was asking, “Who is John Block’s caddie?” Block was tapped for sponsor’s exemptions to two upcoming PGA Tour events—which meant more caddie work. Jackson, who had only packed for a few days, suddenly found himself on a private jet to Fort Worth, Texas for the Charles Schwab Challenge. From there, he came home for a quick respite and “a whole lot of laundry” before catching a flight to Toronto for final U.S. Open qualifying. There were three spots available and 27 players vying for the chance. Block finished two shots short followed by another exemption into the RBC Canadian Open—and an extended stay north of the border for Jackson. “It’s been one heck of a ride, that’s for sure,” Jackson says. “Once I have a chance to sit back and reflect, I’ll think about what’s next for me.” Block Party A caddie from Pacific Grove wound up carrying the bag for golf’s biggest on-course story. By Jeff Mendelsohn John Jackson displays his caddie bib from the PGA Championship, signed by John Block and Rory McIlroy. Jackson, a Pacific Grove resident who caddies at Pebble Beach, found himself the subject of national media attention. “Things really started to get nuts.” TALeS FROM THe AReA CODe NIK BLASKOVICH SAVE THE DATE 36th ANNUAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS presented by 1st Capital Bank THURSDAY, JULY 20 | 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM Monterey Conference Center 21st ANNUAL LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON presented by Aera Energy THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 | 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM Portola Hotel & Spa UPCOMING EVENTS See the full schedule of events and register today at montereychamber.com REGISTER TODAY!
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==