Caddie's load lightened

TPC reunions lift spirits of stricken Rita

Greg Rita (left, working with Mark O'Meara in 2001) was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007. (file/brian bahr/Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Against a backdrop of embarrassing excess - a $25 million clubhouse, $9.5 million purse, and $1.71 million winner's check - that isn't so much a testament to the sport's soul as it is a reflection of our cultural priorities, Greg Rita provided a fresh perspective to The Players Championship that comes not only from 30 years of experience in golf, but a day-to-day faith.

His presence was a reminder that beneath the riches and competitive fires that define the PGA Tour world, a genuine aspect of the game that often gets overlooked is, in fact, what keeps these men in love with it.

"It's being around the golf fraternity that I miss," said Rita. "There are good people in this game."

So one by one they would stop by to say hello, offer a hug or a handshake, and let Rita know they were thinking of him. To all the well-wishers, Rita had a message: "If there's a way, I've got the will to get through this."

Late last year, Rita was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and what followed was months of hell for the longtime caddie. Chemotherapy and radiation have produced all the side effects he was warned about, from sickness and exhaustion to lengthy hospital stays and stretches of delusion.

In the midst of all that, he came down with pneumonia and at one point had to have a spinal tap. Serious stuff, but the 52-year-old Rita has kept his spirits up, and to that end, the PGA Tour's visit to the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has helped immensely.

Rita lives in nearby Jacksonville Beach, and whereas this tournament for years served as a "home game," this week it's a convenient excuse for Rita to stop by and see a bunch of familiar faces.

"It's just good to see everybody," said Rita, whose smile was at its widest when Stewart Cink stopped by and removed his hat.

"I'm going with the Greg Rita look," said Cink, showing off a clean-shaven head.

Rita laughed heartily and pointed toward Cink's caddie, Frank Williams.

"What did I tell you a few years ago about your man?" said Rita. "I told you he can really roll the rock. You're playing great. I love to see it. Keep it going."

Cink, who has six top-10 finishes in 10 starts and indeed has been the model of consistency, shrugged his shoulders as if embarrassed, and thanked Rita.

"I'm just grinding away," said Cink.

So, too, is Rita, whose connection to the PGA Tour goes back to 1977. He was a wide-eyed kid who played his youth golf from daybreak to sundown at Glastonbury Hills CC, later caddied at Wethersfield CC, and was part of an impressive array of Connecticut loopers who made their way onto the PGA Tour. Bruce Edwards would secure fame as Tom Watson's caddie, Joe "Gypsy" Grillo as Steve Elkington's, and Joe LaCava is still accompanying Fred Couples.

All of them have been there for major championships, but Rita's résumé needn't take a back seat. After many years of good work for Gil Morgan, Rita hooked up with Curtis Strange in the 1980s, and what followed was a bit of history.

Strange won the 1988 US Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., then became the first to go back-to-back since Ben Hogan in 1950-51 when he won at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

Six years later, having gone to work for John Daly, Rita was on the bag when Daly beat Costantino Rocca in a playoff at the British Open.

"A lot of caddies have had chances, but I was fortunate that when my guys had chances, they finished them off," said Rita. "And I like that word, 'fortunate.' That's what I've been. Fortunate."

As he talked in the makeshift caddie barn in the bowels of a glorious stone clubhouse, Rita was surrounded by men whose time on the PGA Tour dates to those days before courtesy cars and graphite shafts, before million-dollar checks and private-jet travel. LaCava sat at a lunch table with Rita, his longtime friend and colleague, and at another table sat Tony Navarro, not far from where Mike "Fluff" Cowan and Pete Carrick walked by. John Woods, who works for Hunter Mahan, made a point of stopping by, as did Brian Smith, Justin Leonard's caddie, and Joe Damiano, who carries for Stuart Appleby.

The camaraderie, however, wasn't limited to the men who labor far from the spotlight, because PGA Tour winner Jonathan Byrd came in the caddie barn looking for Rita, and when Rita visited the range, he was embraced by a series of players.

Yes, the day was filled with good cheer and heartfelt exchanges, but Rita felt a sense of vindication, too. For more than 30 years he settled into the shoulder straps, in good weather and bad, serving his players well and doing the PGA Tour proud.

This day, in some small way, reinforced those notions, because the pride shined through. He was tired, yes, but he promised to find the energy to attend a gathering of caddies at one of their homes last night.

"It's great being around them - I've missed them," said Rita. "I'm not sure when I'll be back out, but I look forward to working again."

He promised that the illness won't get the best of him, and to that point he insisted he had a plan that is his motivation.

"My son is 3 years old," said Rita, a diehard Red Sox fan. "When he's 5, I've already decided I'm taking him to Fenway Park."