Inside the Ropes at Augusta National

Pat Perez's longtime caddie Mike Hartford provides a rare glimpse behind the scenes at the Masters.

By Brian Wacker, PGATOUR.COM Site Producer

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- When you’re caddying at Augusta National and the guy whose bag you’re carrying is 7 over for the week coming to the par-5 15th hole, you’re trying for only one thing: An eagle to win a piece of crystal.

That’s about all there was for Pat Perez and his caddie, Mike Hartford, who allowed
me to tag along inside the ropes and behind the scenes at the Masters. Unfortunately for Perez, he didn’t make eagle and he didn’t make the cut after a 79 Friday that included a back-nine 44 that left him at 10 over for the week.

So what does a caddie do after a missed cut at the Masters? Not what you might think. While Perez will go home, Hartford, also known as “H,” plans to stick around for the weekend.

BW: How come you decided to stay? It’s not like you have to go to work in the morning.

H: My flight back was booked for Monday and it was too expensive to change it. Plus, the house we’re renting we have through the weekend.

BW: So what time’s the party?

H: Funny. I think I’m the only one who’s staying through the weekend, actually. Pat’s got his wife with him and he’s off the next couple of weeks, so they’ll go back to Arizona.

BW: So you just going to sit around the house? That doesn’t sound like fun.

H: I’m actually going to go to the tournament.

BW: But Pat missed the cut.

H: You’re not funny.

BW: Do they give you guys a ticket?

H: Well, I’ve got my caddie badge, so that should get me in. I think it will get me in. Actually, it might not. I’m not sure. I was talking to one of the other caddies and told him I was going to come this weekend and he looked at me kind of funny, so I’m not sure if that will work.

BW: Just show up in your jumpsuit.

H: The club keeps those. We get to keep the green cap.

BW: Probably rather Pat have a Green Jacket.

H: My caddie badge should get me in. I mean, it has the rest of the week so I don’t see how they can stop me.

BW: I can’t imagine you’ve stuck around too many other places once Pat missed the cut.

H: Yeah, not too many other places. I came out to watch the Tiger Woods-Rocco Mediate playoff at last year’s U.S. Open because I live nearby. I used my caddie credential there and it worked. I also watched John Daly when he won the Buick Invitational a few years ago because I’m pretty good friends with him.

BW: You know he’s here at Hooters this week, right? You guys have a chance to hang out?

H: I called him, which I try to do about once a month, but we haven’t hung out in probably a year and a half. He sounded good, though, and hopefully he means what he says about committing himself to golf.

BW: I’ve heard he’s lost 40 pounds.

H: People don’t realize what a good guy he is. When Pat was 15 or 16, J.D. pulled him out of the crowd at Torrey Pines and let him hit his driver on No. 8. John heard Pat was a pretty good junior player, but he really didn’t know much. Then Pat hit one like 300 yards. Pat still remembers that. That’s the kind of guy John is.

BW: Back to your week, not exactly the outcome you were hoping for. But are there any memories you’ll take away from the experience? It was only your second time here and first since 2003, when Pat last played here.

H: Yeah, definitely being there for Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller’s final rounds in the tournament. That was pretty special. And all the years that I watched this tournament on TV, we finally got some of the conditions I’d expected. It was warm and sunny with not much wind on Thursday. The last time I was here everything was lift, clean and place.

BW: Buy anything?

H: Yeah, I went to the merchandise tent and bought a bunch of souvenirs for friends and family. I always do that at the U.S. Open and the couple of times I’ve been here.

BW: You might need to buy a ticket for the weekend, too.

H: Funny.