Jimmy Walker's caddie lives major win through boss's eyes

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SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- When Jimmy Walker and Andy Sanders met for the first time at Baltusrol in 2000, there was little debate over which Texas collegian was the better bet to someday win a major championship. Sanders was a two-time All-American and individual conference champion at Houston, and Walker was something less than that at Baylor.

They had come to New Jersey for the U.S. Amateur and had stumbled into each other around the 10th tee on the Upper Course. Sanders remembered thinking that Walker could hit it a mile. Walker remembered thinking, "Wow, that's Andy Sanders. He's from Houston. He's really good."

Sanders was good enough to outplay Graeme McDowell of Alabama-Birmingham in Conference USA. He was good enough to dream of doing exactly what his friend, Walker, did Sunday on the Lower Course at Baltusrol -- finish a surreal 36-hole day with enough patience, power and precision to seize his first major title at age 37.