PGA Tour pro hires teenage caddie after social media appeal

Steven Bowditch has attracted plenty of interest at this week's John Deere Classic after advertising for a caddie via social media.

The Australian reached out on Twitter to find a bagman for the week at TPC Deere Run, asking for any available schoolchildren or college students to do the heavy lifting for him in return for "all leftover gloves and balls"!

Bowditch does not have a regular caddie after suffering a dramatic slump in form since landing his second PGA Tour title over three years ago, and he has made the cut only twice in his last 32 starts.

The 35-year-old, who hit the headlines last year when he was arrested and charged with "extreme DUI" during the Waste Management Phoenix Open, decided to use social media this week to land a temporary caddie, and one of the first to respond was Elias Francque.

The schoolboy, who turns 17 on Friday, resides in nearby Chicago and has knowledge of the course, while three of his uncles are employed by the tournament's title sponsors.

"It was something I've always wanted to do," Bowditch told the PGA Tour. "I had a late entry, I got called Monday afternoon. I was struggling to find a caddie, and I thought this was probably a good opportunity to make a kid smile for the week, and that's all it was."

It also transpired that Bowditch himself caddied for PGA Tour veteran John Senden many years ago, while Senden also carried the bag for former Open champion Ian Baker-Finch back in 1987.

Watch the video above to see Golf Channel reporter Chantel McCabe explain the story, and don't miss our continued coverage of the John Deere Classic on Sky Sports Golf.

Live PGA Tour Golf