Former Cowra junior golfer Adam Woodward entered golf’s history books this week when he caddied for Sun Young Yoo to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California.
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South Korean golfer Yoo won with a six metre birdie putt on the first playoff hole earning her and Adam’s first Major title.
It also meant the pair made the traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond, something Adam was happy to oblige.
Speaking from her family home in River Park Road Cowra, Adam’s partner Natasha Smith, who has been helping her father through sickness, can’t hide her excitement and pride.
“I’m proud, he’s so over the moon,” she said.
“He’s had wins before but this is the pinnacle. It’s amazing being his first Major.
“It’s very exciting. I couldn’t watch because I was too nervous and superstitious about things like that.”
It was Adam’s fifth win on the LGPA tour (3 US, 2 Europe) and catapulted Yoo 22 places up the world rankings to sit 15th.
Unhappy with his parents John and Colleen Woodward’s travel business in Cowra, Adam took up an offer from family friend and Cowra professional Mardi Lunn in 1995 to try caddying for a year.
Sixteen years later, he is now a Major winning caddy.
“It justifies all the slogging and the little tournaments and working really, really hard all the time,” Natasha said.
“They’re long days but it’s worth it in the end.
“It’s an overnight success story 16 years in the making.”
After six years with Lunn, Adam moved to different female players, did a stint on the Seniors and Nationwide tours trying to break into the mens’ tour before joining Yoo, who Natasha describes as a ‘great girl’, nearly two years ago.
Adam has also caddied for the European team in the Solheim Cup, the women’s version of the Ryder Cup played between Europe and the USA’s best golfers.
It’s an ‘addictive’ occupation according to Natasha.
“Even though the road life’s tough you love travelling with all the guys and girls and the camaraderie between them,” she said.
“They go to the same places every year and see the same faces at the tournaments. Plus, most of the time it is a nice outdoor job.
“The root of it all is that he absolutely loves golf which was nurtured here at Cowra Golf Club.”
After this latest effort Adam’s probably hooked for life.
Coincidently, Adam stayed with his two best mates who had won the championship as caddies in the previous two years - a lucky house.
One of his mates, Travis, made the highlight reel for his leap into the pond last year.
Natasha believes Adam has surpassed his effort.
“He has never said it and he would never, ever admit to it, but I think he’s been dreaming of that jump since the day he started.
“He’ll make the top 10 jumps for sure but he’s number one on our list.”
Natasha and now-mobile 11 month old son Ben fly to Hawaii on April 14 where they’ll meet up with their Major man at a tournament before heading back to their US home in Orlando, Florida.
“We’re so thankful for the support of people from Cowra. Even though we live in America and our life is over there most of the time, this is still what we consider our home,” Natasha said.
“Adam’s just so thrilled, he’s just beside himself.”
The family of three will head to their newly baby-proofed house in the suburb named Champions Gate.
How appropriate.
