Fellow Scots and some of the stars of the European Tour have paid tribute to renowned caddy Dave Renwick who has passed away.
Renwick, 62 stopped caddying a year ago when he began experiencing chest pains while caddying in the States for Korean K J Choi.
He was diagnosed with cancer and informed he had two to four months to live but then passed away just short of a year late on Wednesday evening at his East Calder residence.
Renwick began caddying when he was just 11 years of age and after a few years working on North Sea oil rig he turned up looking for to caddy at the inaugural 1983 Glasgow Open at Haggs Castle.
“I remember that day as he knew absolutely nothing about yardages,” said a smiling Ian ‘Edinburgh Jimmy’ Rae who caddies for Paul McGinley.
But then Renwick was a quick learner as no sooner he found his way onto Jose Maria Olazabal’s bag, then only his early 20s and also new to the Tour, and incidentally turning 50 today (FRIDAY).
Dave Renwick about to remove the Masters flag as Vijay Singh raises his arm in winning the 2000 Masters.
He went back to work for Olazabal in 1986 and caddied for the Spaniard through to 1994, winning 14 European Tour titles including the 1994 Masters and two other times in the States.
However his time with Olazabal was not always plain sailing.
During a Volvo Masters at Valderrama, Renwick dumped Olazabal’s bag of clubs on the course mid-round and walked off saying: “I’m not going to be treated like that anymore.”
Olazabal’s manager, Sergio Gomaz stepped forward to carry the clubs for the rest of the round.
The pair then chatted over a drink in the bar afterwards and resumed together the next day but they split up soon afterwards.
And Olazabal’s 50th birthday tomorrow (FRD) is sure to be tinged with sadness in learning of Renwick’s passing.
Renwick was caddying for South African Fulton Allem at the 1994 Open Championship when Australian Steve Elkington approached him to work with him on the PGA Tour. They won later that year ahead of capturing the 1995 PGA Championship and in the process denying Colin Montgomerie.
Dave Renwick with Steve Elkington in 1995 and sharing holding the PGA Championship trophy.
As a token of his appreciation it’s understood Elkington handed Renwick $100,000 of his $360,000 first prize cheque.
In June 1997, Renwick teamed-up with Vijay Singh in what would be the greatest period of his caddying career and with Singh winning seven times, including the 1998 PGA Championship and 2000 Masters, before they split in August 2000.
However he returned to caddy for Singh at the 2003 U.S. Open and a year later helping steer Singh to reach World No. 1 in calling the shots for seven of his nine victories in 2004 that included also capturing the 2004 PGA Championship.
When asked about Singh going to World No. 1 Dave responded: “Yeah, we beat Tiger (Woods) the last day and birdied three of the last four holes to overtake him in the world rankings with a win, as well.”
In 2005, Renwick caddied for then PGA Tour rookie Graeme McDowell and while it was just for that one event McDowell, who five years later triumphed in the U.S. Open, enjoyed a strong relationship with Renwick.
Dave Renwick with Lee Westwood
“Dave worked for me just once at that was in the 2005 Bob Hope Classic and he was clearly one of the more experienced caddies out here,” said McDowell.
“He was a real character and his passing is a sad loss as he was certainly a big part of things when I was coming through the ranks.
“He only helped out that once but then I maintained a good friendship with him following that one week he caddied for me.
“I heard him tell so many great stories over the years but then most of them would be unprintable but then while Dave was very unique, he’s not the only caddy out here with stories and anecdotes you’ll never see in print.”
One of the more popular Renwick tales heard on the Emirates Club practice range was the night Elkington drove Renwick back to his hotel after Renwick had a few too many beverages.
Elkington mentioned he had arranged a cab for Renwick but then Renwick was unware he was not in cab but instead trying to keep awake in the back seat of Elkington’s tournament courtesy car.
Elkington then ‘demanded’ $100 for the ride back to the hotel but with Renwick, and of course still unaware it was Elkington, giving out to the driver in no uncertain terms and saying all he would be prepared to pay was $20.
The next day Elkington asked Renwick: “So Dave, did you get back to your hotel okay?”
Renwick then launched into a tirade of colourful language.
“No, I didn’t as this (bleep) taxi driver wanted to charge me (bleep) $100, but I told him to (bleep, bleep, bleep) and I was only going to pay him $20.”
Stephen Gallacher led the Scottish golfing tributes after he birdied his opening holes and just missed going three under par at the third, on route to signing off for a two under par 70 on the course where he won in 2013 and 2014 and was third a year ago.
Double Dubai winning Stephen Gallacher led the Scottish tributes to Dave Renwick. (Photo – Eoin Clarke/www.golffile.ie)
“I used to play a lot with Dave so I’ve known him all my playing days, and everybody knew he was,” he said
“He caddied for Bernard (Gallacher – Uncle) in the early days and I remember he used to take Elkington to Pumpherton Golf Club for social rounds.
“He was great for the community and a good bowler, as well. So it was sad news but then he had a hard time towards the end of his life.”
Gallacher also recalled a take involving Renwick and Alastair Forsyth also during the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama.
“Dave was caddying for Big Al (Alastair Forsyth) and there was just this partition between where you sign your scorecards and where the caddies waited.
“I played with Alastair that day and we are sitting there checking our scorecards and all we can hear is: “That’s the worst putting display I’ve ever seen in my life”.
Big Al then sings out: “Hey, I can hear you, you ******.
”Dave then replies: “Well, it was for to hear, you ******”
In fact, Renwick’s last win was alongside Forsyth in capturing the 2008 Madeira Islands Open.
Alastair Forsyth winning 2008 Madeira Islands Open and what was Dave Renwick’s last Tour win
Four-time Major winning Ernie Els, who shot an opening round 68 in Dubai, also spoke of his fondness for Renwick.
“I knew Dave very well and even when I came out as a youngster, he was a legend as both a caddie and a person,” said Els.
“Davie and I had lots of great times together. Whether we were in the US, Europe or Asia, he was a very good friend of mine.
“When he caddied for Jose and Vijay, we played so many practice rounds together. Myself and Vijay were both competing at a really high level in those days and Dave was on his bag. He was a great guy and a very straightforward man. There was no hiding.
“He was brilliant in the Presidents Cup team rooms. He was a man of few words until you got him going. He led by example the way he caddied and carried himself. He was just a fantastic guy.
In his later career, Renwick caddied for Adam Scott, Thorjborn Olesen, Graeme Storm, Gareth Maybin, Ricardo Gonzalez while he ended his European Tour career with fellow Scot Chris Doak before moving back to the States in early 2015 to caddy for Choi.
There had been an incident two years ago involving Rory McIlroy at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship when Renwick, who was caddying for Gonzalez and was in the same group with McIlroy, pulled McIlroy up for an incorrect drop from a pedestrian walkway.
Four time Major winning Rory McIlroy says he has no grudges over Dave Renwick pulling him up on what would turn out to be a two stroke penalty for McIlroy.
After much post round discussion McIlroy was hit with a two-stroke penalty and would finish second to Spain’s Pablo Larrazabal.
At the time McIlroy remarked: “I hit less strokes than anyone this week and finished second.”
However, after his opening Dubai round McIlroy said he held no grudges with Renwick.
“No, I was fine with what happened and though I didn’t know Dave, it was sad to learn he had passed away,” said McIlroy.
Danish-born Olesen, and the reigning Alfred Dunhill Links champion, remarked: “Dave caddied for me for about 13 weeks when I first came out full-time on Tour in 2011 and I just learned so much from him.
“But then Dave was not only a first-class caddy but a first-class individual. It was very sad this morning when I heard the news as we all will miss him.”
Renwick’s last Tour victory was in the 2008 Madeira Islands Open caddying for fellow Scot Alastair Forsyth.
Not only was there black ribbons aplenty in Dubai but the flag is sure to be half-mast at Pumpherton Golf Club in Livingston where Renwick had been a life member.
In fact, Renwick would bring Elkington to Pumpherton where they would play social rounds.
Renwick, who also enjoyed bowls, spent 32 years of his life as a professional caddy and was asked often the key to being a good caddy.
“Just being relaxed I don’t let too much really bother me out there,” said Renwick
That summed up Dave Renwick.
