Michael Campbell's regular caddie for the last decade is
quitting the 2005 US Open golf champion's bag at the end of
this year.
Michael Waite, originally from Taranaki but now living on
Queensland's Gold Coast, will join up with either Korea's KJ
Choi, ranked No 16 in the world, or Australian Robert Allenby
in a job sharing capacity next year.
"The chance to work for a top-20 player doesn't come along
very often," Waite said today.
"KJ's regular man Andy Prodger approached me at the Tour
Championship where I was working with Allenby and wanted to
know if I could share the bag.
"And I've worked with Allenby quite a bit over the years
anyway.
"I joined up with him in the States again recently when he
nearly won the Turning Stone Championship in New York and his
normal caddie Colin Burwood wants to job share as well, so to
have a couple of really top players wanting you is a great
opportunity."
Waite can arguably claim to be the second most successful New
Zealand-produced caddie after Steve Williams, the bagman for
world No 1 Tiger Woods.
On the world's golf tours since the 1980s, Waite had success
with, among others, Allenby, Ian Baker-Finch and Rodger
Davis.
He was with Campbell fulltime for eight years, including the
famous major championship in 2005 but has shared the bag
during 2007 and 2008.
Campbell employed seasoned English caddie Peter Coleman for
the bulk of his time on the European Tour this year.
Waite stuck with the mercurial New Zealander during good
times and bad and will be back with Campbell for his
end-of-year three tournament swing in Hong Kong and
Australia, starting next month.
And if Campbell plays in Australia and New Zealand early in
2009, including the New Zealand Open in Queenstown, Waite may
briefly work for him again.
But the father-of-three wants to cut back on his travelling
and said his ideal schedule was to work for about 20 weeks a
year.
Most top players start about 30 tournaments a year so Waite
is hopeful a couple of part-time bags will fulfil that
commitment.
For the rest of the time he wants to concentrate on a
business venture, making and selling bar stools from
discarded golf bags.
