Erik van Rooyen’s Caddie Qualifies for PGA Tour Event, Will Play Alongside Him at 3M Open

Erik van Rooyen launched a search for a replacement caddie after his own looper qualified into this week’s PGA Tour event.

Erik van Rooyen will use a back-up caddie this week at the 3M Open, but his regular looper, Alex Gaugert, won’t be far away. 

In fact, van Rooyen and Gaugert will walk the fairways of TPC Twin Cities side-by-side on Thursday and Friday, but not as a player-caddie team. 

Van Rooyen’s caddie is actually playing in this week’s PGA Tour event. 

Gaugert—van Rooyen’s former University of Minnesota teammate—earned his spot in the 3M Open field by shooting a 6-under 65 and surviving a 4-for-3 playoff in this week’s Monday qualifier.

The PGA Tour couldn’t help but let the story blossom, and the two soon realized they were paired together for Round 1 and 2 of the tournament, along with Ryan Moore.  

The unlikely scenario garnered first attention when Van Rooyen took to Twitter on Monday, realizing he’d suddenly need to search for a replacement caddie for the week. 

“So my caddie @lil_gaugs just qualified for the @3MOpen! What a STUD!!! Sooooooo anyone want to loop this week?!” van Rooyen wrote. 

So my caddie @lil_gaugs just qualified for the @3MOpen! What a STUD!!! Soooooooo anyone want to loop this week?! @PGATOUR

— Erik van Rooyen (@FredVR_) July 25, 2023

Gaugert’s Monday qualifier performance was unfathomably impressive on multiple levels. The looper might have played D-I college golf, but he doesn’t play and practice like a Tour pro by any means. 

“I don’t know. I don’t play” Gaugert said when asked about the state of his game in a video on the PGA Tour’s social media, “I’m just gonna have fun.”

On top of it all, Gaugert revealed that he was running on almost no sleep when he posted the 6-under 65. The full-time caddie took a red-eye from California on Sunday night from the Barracuda Championship, and despite some travel hiccups, he still managed to play his way into the PGA Tour event. 

“I drove like 100 miles an hour to Sacramento, caught my flight. Sacramento to Seattle. Flight got delayed, ended up taking off at 2:55 a.m., got here at like 8:30 a.m. Got my bags, went home for 20 minutes, got to the course at 10:30 a.m. and teed off at 11 a.m,” Gaugert said.

After finishing his usual caddie duties for @FredVR_ at the @CudaChamp on Sunday, Alex Gaugert took a red eye to the @3MOpen Monday qualifier.

He then shot a 65 to qualify for his first TOUR start.

Instead of on the bag, he’ll be in the same group as van Rooyen this week 👏 pic.twitter.com/p1CiRzlQel

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 25, 2023

Gaugert is looking forward to the unique opportunity to play a familiar course alongside his day-to-day boss, but he’s also slightly worried about the outcome of the week. He knows van Rooyen’s game better than anyone else, and apparently the South African is due for a strong finish on Tour. 

Gaugert would be elated for his friend and peer if the 3M Open proved to be his break-out tournament, but he might not stop thinking about that potential 10 percent cut for quite some time. 

“He’s been struggling a little bit, but he’s trending nicely. So I’m kind of nervous about missing this week, honestly,” Gaugert joked. 

It looks like Gaugert will just have to let go of those nerves, make the 36-hole cut, and earn a fruitful payout of his own.