JEFF "Squeeky" Madlen, long-time caddy to former British Open champion Nick Price, has died following an extensive battle with leukaemia. Madlen (43), was one of the more popular and recognisable figures in golf.
He caddied for Price when the Zimbabwean won the Open at Turnberry in 1994, and was also on the bag later that year when Price won the US PGA at Southern Hills in Oaklahoma. Madlen also caddied for John Daly when he won the 1991 US PGA, but only after Price withdrew on the eve of the championship as his wife was expecting.
Madlen was stricken with the disease some 12 months ago and has been undergoing treatment that included two bone marrow transplants in Columbus, Ohio.
"Squeek was more than a friend to me he was part of my family," said Price. "He was a huge part of my success and I will always be grateful for his loyalty and devotion.
"I will forever cherish the time, the triumphs, and the laughs we shared. Golf has lost one of its most colourful friends. We are all going to miss him dearly."
US PGA tour commissioner Tim Finchem said: "Squeeky was a young man who was loved and respected by everyone in golf, particularly the players. He put up a tremendous, courageous fight."
Flags at the Westchester Country Club in northern New York, venue for this week's Buick Classic, were lowered to half mast in respect for Madlen, who will be buried in Columbus tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods, who is competing at Westchester, has admitted he is even surprised himself with the confirmation earlier this week that he has dethroned Greg Norman as the world number one ranked golfer.
"When I turned professional, I was just praying I would get my PGA tour card and finish in the top 25 on the money list," said Woods, who turned professional on August 27th last year, just days before contesting the Milwaukee Open. "When I won in Las Vegas I thought maybe it's unrealistic to shoot for the Tour Championship. Next thing, I win Disney (Walt Disney/Oldsmobile Classic) to get in to the tour championship and from there it just kind of snowballed.
"It was like, `woah', maybe I could do pretty well out here".
In those 10 months Woods has captured a US Masters title and won four other US tour events in just 19 appearances on the US tour.
Norman spent 104 weeks of the past 106 weeks as number one, losing the top position in late April before recapturing the title wit4 his runner-up place in May's Spanish Open.
In total the Australian spent 348 weeks as the number one ranked player, which is more than half of the 620 weeks since the world ranking was first launched at the 1986 US Masters.
Woods has also confessed at Westchester that he is pleased discussion of the much talked about golfing grand slam has dissipated after his 19th place finish at last week's US Open, at Congressional.
"I never did really pay a whole lot of attention to that thought," said Woods. "It was the thought that I knew in my mind what I had to do. I had to go out there and win the US Open first before any of that stuff happened."
Finally, Ernie Els, in his professional, single-minded manner, has tipped cold water on "feeling sorry" for Colin Montgomerie, who finished runner-up for the second time in the US Open to the South African.
"On the golf course, you can't feel sorry for anybody," said Els, who this week defends his Buick title he won last year by eight shots. If I had to finish second I would have been upset too, but what the hell. You have to try and win a golf tournament and you can't stand out there on the golf course and feel sorry for these guys who finish second again."
