Mike “Fluff” Cowan, a veteran PGA Tour caddy, fell during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday.
Cowan, who bagged with Jim Furyk for more than two decades, caddyed for CT Pan this week at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario. Cowan, 76, slipped and fell on the third fairway. He was treated for “non-serious” injuries but was unable to drive the rest of the way.
So Pan got a little creative. According to Kevin Price of the PGA Tour, a local fan intervened and took over. Paul Emerson, a self-described “golf nut,” was standing right next to the group when Pan went down and immediately offered to jump in.
“I helped Fluff take off the bib, threw it over and started walking into the hole,” Emerson said.
Emerson wasn’t on the bag for long. A member of the caddy service team replaced him on the fifth hole. Pan then switched to Al Riddell, who lives nearby and regularly caddies for fellow Tour golfer Paul Barjon, on the back nine. Riddell marked Pan’s fourth caddie of the day.
Pan eventually posted a 1-under 69, thanks in part to a huge eagle holeout on the back nine, to reach 3-under for the week. That was still more than 10 shots off the lead by the time he hit the clubhouse.
Pan has won once on the PGA Tour in his career with the RBC Heritage in 2019. He has missed the cut in two of his last four appearances and has one top-10 finish this season.
Cowan first started working with Ed Sabo in 1976. He spent years with Peter Jacobsen before teaming up with Tiger Woods in 1996, with whom he dated for a few years – including during his 1997 Masters victory. Cowan and Furyk went previously officially separated. this year after 25 years together. It is unclear how serious his injuries are and whether he can continue the season with Pan.
