Ultra-talented Calum Hill has signed on an ‘extra club’ with news super caddy Phil ‘Wobbly’ Morbey will now caddy full-time for the Scot.
‘Wobbly’, 55 began caddying in 1981 and with the Yorkshire-born bagman boasting 41 wins worldwide as he now nears his 40th Tour season, and with a standout victory being none better than the 1991 Masters in calling the shots for Ian Woosnam.
“Wobbly’ is also a veteran of eight Ryder Cups between 1987 and 2010, including stints behind the scenes at the likes of Brookline in 1999 and Hazeltine in 2016.
He caddied for Hill at the recent Saudi International and helping steer Hill to a share of fourth place on the course laid out along the Red Sea.
Scotland’s Calum and Ian ‘Wobbly’ Morbey now a full-time item after their share of fourth place at the recent Saudi International
It had been a bizarre player/caddy arrangement in Saudi Arabia as Hill was last into the field and with ‘Wobbly’ being without a bag after his regular player, Thorbjorn Olesen withdrew with an injury.
So, Hill and ‘Wobbly’ teamed-up and now they’re a full-time European Tour item.
“It was pretty mutual but the way the week started it was all about getting a caddie,” said Ian Stoddard who manages Hill.
“At that point it was just who was available. It turned out that Wobbly was there. He got off to a good start and it grew from there. Wobbly was certainly impressed by how well-mannered Calum was and how he went about things. It headed in the right direction.
“I was getting it from both sides (about a possible partnership) and when there was a chance we put everything in place, we went through the proper protocols which allowed Calum to speak to his brother and Wobbly to speak to Thorbjorn (Olesen).
“You know what the jungle drums can be like particularly in the caddie fraternity so it was important we went through everything as it should be.
“These things can go awry but everyone has done the right thing by everyone else and that’s allowed Calum and Wobbly to crack on.”
And while the new player/caddy deal is only new, Hill spoke of the input he believes one of the more-experienced caddies working either the European or PGA Tour will bring to his game.
“‘Wobbly’ gave me feed back, he wrote me an email about things that were good and what we could work on,” said Hill.
“Things like time management and some of the negative self talk, which I don’t find negative, but maybe is in a sense. There were little bits and pieces. It was good to have a different set of eyes on my week, and to see things I didn’t think were problematic.
“My lag putting, for example. I didn’t three putt all week but my pace was shy. My mid range putts weren’t having the most chance to go in, I wasn’t getting them to the hole. He suggested we do more lag putt drills. Over the course of an event, or longer, that can have an impact”.
And can ‘Wobbly’ now be like a 15th club in the bag, given he enormous wealth of experience?
“Yes, I think so. 40 years of seeing golf shots, it’s certainly not going to hinder anything is it?”
