Everything is big in America. The barbecue wings that get served up in the media canteen, for instance, look like they’ve been sawn off a Pterodactyl.
In this land of the huge, English rookie Chris Wood probably fits right in. At a giant 6' 6", he is walking tall as he prepares for his Ryder Cup debut. Beside him, under the cloud cover, is the more petit figure of Mark Crane, the Prestwick caddie who will also be getting a first taste of the intense Ryder Cup cut-and-thrust.
This Anglo-Scottish alliance has proved to be highly profitable. In May, Wood and Crane savoured their biggest success together when the Bristol golfer won the BMW PGA Championship, a victory which effectively sealed his place in the European Ryder Cup team.
“I didn't think straight away after that win that it meant we were almost certain to make the team,” reflected Crane, whose past employers include former Ryder Cup campaigner Paul Casey and Scotsman Richie Ramsay, the winner of the US Amateur Championship here at Hazeltine a decade ago. "It wasn't until I got a text from Danny Willett saying, 'congratulations and Ryder Cup here we come' that I realised that was pretty much the case. It's pretty special that Chris and I are sharing this journey for the first time together. Though he doesn't really show it, he wears his heart on his sleeve and is a really strong competitor. We’re both relishing this opportunity.”
Should Crane require any pearls of wisdom then he can easily draw on the experiences of Craig Connelly, the Glasgow caddie who is heaving the bag at his seventh Ryder Cup this week.
“Craig is a good friend and I’ve spoken to him a lot,” added Crane. “Most of the guys who've been there and done it tell you the same thing, which is to do what you normally do and don't get caught up in the occasion. There's a chance it will be hostile and abuse could be aimed at you and your player, but that's part and parcel of being the away team at a Ryder Cup.”
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