Caddie Confidential: Pressing to make the cut

— -- HAVEN, Wis. -- The groups that went off in the afternoon Thursday at the PGA Championship had to face 20 mph winds. And those afternoon groups played in the morning on Friday under near perfect conditions. Today's caddie had a player who was outside the cut line after his windy Thursday round and had to shoot low to make it to the weekend.

What do you tell him when you know he needs to press? Today's caddie didn't care if he was confidential in his answers, so maybe you can figure out who he is.

Michael Collins: How different did the course play between Rounds 1 and 2?
Caddie: Just a little softer, then it got hot and the wind obviously was mild compared to yesterday afternoon.

Collins: How much firmer and faster was the course?
Caddie: It's definitely getting firmer and faster. I think the greens are a yard quicker than they were yesterday afternoon and they are definitely drying out and getting a bit crispier today. So it's getting pretty quick out there.

Collins: For someone who had a player shoot over par yesterday, how important did you think the round was going to be in these conditions to get under par?
Caddie: We needed to get to level par. I reckon that will be the cut line, guaranteed. It might slip a little bit out of that. So it was critical that we had an under-par round today.

Collins: What was the most difficult hole on the golf course even without the wind?
Caddie: 18 is playing the most difficult. That's the one we bogeyed, so it's gotta be the most difficult. That and No. 4. It's just playing really tough.

Collins: Why?
Caddie: It's just long and there's wind out of the ruts. Critical drive. If you miss the tee shot there, you're almost laying up.

Collins: Was there anything about the golf course that surprised you today?
Caddie: I think the speed of the greens. We had a lot of downhill putts that were a lot quicker than they were yesterday.

Collins: Was there any part of the golf course that is more difficult to caddie when the wind blows?
Caddie: I think the 12th hole, with that pin in the back-right corner. It's easier just to close your eyes.

Collins: For a caddie, how good does it feel after a difficult first round, knowing that you don't have to pack up and go home Friday night?
Caddie: When you're coming from the south of Africa, it's the greatest feeling in the world.

Collins: Which is tougher: Going from a difficult day to an easy one, or going from an easy day to a hard one?
Caddie: I think that could be equally difficult. Because going from a difficult day to an easy day, you kind of let your guard down. Whereas the other way around, you know you have to go out there and fight. Letting your guard down can result in horrible scores.

Collins: You got in a situation where the guys who played early had relatively benign conditions, and you have to go out in the worst of it. Then today, the guys who played in the afternoon didn't have to face the winds like yesterday. How tough is it to stay positive when that happens?
Caddie: It is more difficult, yes. I think over a career, the draws balance out. For three years, we had great draws. Just this year we've had a little bit tougher draws. Because if you play well on the tough side of the draw, the weekends are a little bit easier.

Collins: Does the strategy change for the caddie now that your position for the weekend is better than where it started?
Caddie: I think we come to every tournament to win. That's why I'm here. I'm here to win.

Collins: Winning paycheck is better than a third-place check.
Caddie: No doubt about that.