Geno Bonnalie hilariously documented his trip to Sawgrass on Saturday
Danny Stout/Twitter
Before I dive into this story, do one thing for me: Go and follow Geno Bonnalie on Twitter (if you aren’t already). As Joel Dahmen’s caddie, he provides insight onto life on the PGA Tour and some hilarious behind-the-scenes looks at life on the road as a caddie. It’s not as glamorous as you might think, but it’s arguably even more entertaining.
Let’s take a look at some of his all-time highlights:
See what I mean? Anyway, Bonnalie found himself on quite an adventure on Saturday in Ponte Vedra, despite not asking to go on one and despite his boss never teeing off at TPC Sawgrass. Here’s how it began:
I can confirm that the traffic on the way to TPC Sawgrass on Saturday morning was unreal. My coworkers and I are staying seven miles away from the course, and it’s a straight shot down one road. It took us nearly an hour to arrive, and it took some other media pals two-plus hours to get to the course. So at first, this seemed like a genius idea for Bonnalie. Then reality set in. Riding a bike seven miles, into the wind? Yikes. Not to mention Bonnalie said he hadn’t ridden a bike since he was 12.
Next, Bonnalie compared himself to Michael Scott in The Office and sent out a request for people in the Ponde Vedra neighborhood: a glass of water (which, unfortunately, it seems like he never got).
Here’s where things really took a turn for the worse. Remember, it poured all day yesterday, so the mud was abundant as Bonnalie made his way to work. Poor guy ruined his outfit before even arriving to the course!
Bonnalie soon realized he’d forgotten his credentials, too. This was a potential disaster; there are about 15 different security checkpoints you go through before stepping foot on TPC Sawgrass, so I have no idea how he planned to meet up with Dahmen if he couldn’t get pass the first gate.
Good news! It looks like Bonnalie went to wherever Dahmen is staying this week first. That should make it a bit easier to get to the course without a credential.
This is where Act II of this tragicomedy begins. After biking into the wind, realizing he didn’t have his credential and finally making it to his boss’ house, Bonnalie learned that he actually wouldn’t be working today. That news had to have stung a bit after putting in all this effort. Time to turn around and head home.
Bonnalie soon realized the trek home wasn’t going to be an easy one. He wanted a ride home, a beer and a banana. Luckily, he found a bar that had both two of the three.
After fueling up, Bonnalie got back on the road. But it had gotten cold. Really cold.
Next, Bonnalie’s body started to revolt. He hopped off the bike and decided to walk. At this point, I started to worry about his ability to caddie on Sunday, which will likely be a 36-hole day for Dahmen and Bonnalie.
After one last pit stop, Bonnalie finally made it home.
I think this is a satisfying ending to a really peculiar story. But I also think it’s too soon to tell. We’ll see how Bonnalie’s legs hold up on Sunday at TPC Sawgrass.
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