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PCA expands to provide unprecedented support for caddies everywhere

By Bob Denney
PGA.com Contributing Writer

Orlando, Fla. -- Just three years old, the Professional Caddies Association (PCA) has expanded its membership, raised funds for new scholarships and enlisted the support of golf's major associations in producing an unprecedented package for caddies worldwide.

"Caddies have been in the game for over 500 years," said PCA Founder Dennis Cone of Orlando, Fla. "We're excited about the programs we've begun this year, the number of members we've recruited and the overall attention that we're getting from both professional golfers and caddies."

The PCA has boosted its membership 500 percent from 200 to 1,000 members in the past year, along with developing a Caddie Certification Program and a Junior and Professional Apprentice Program. PCA President Laura Drumm of Winter Park, Fla., has brought her business acumen to the association and developed a health and insurance benefits package. Cone also outlined the 1999 developments:
  • A presentation March 24, of a life-size bronze statue of Francis Ouimet and caddie Eddie Lowery to the Pioneer Section of the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, Fla.
  • The PCA has raised $7,000 to benefit the medical costs for the son of Billy Mayfair's caddie, Montana Thompson, who underwent a $100,000 brain surgical procedure.
  • The PCA will help raise funds for such associations as the Chick Evans Scholarship Program of Evanston, Ill.
  • The PCA will sponsor a mobile Caddie Hall of Fame that will travel the country and be available for the general public to enjoy at various PGA Tour events.
  • The PCA will share merchandise brands with the PGA Tour on high-quality merchandise and form similar agreements with corporations.
"We've made tremendous progress and have the support of many of the leading caddies and their supporters," said Cone. "Laura has been outstanding in helping project our name in front of the public. We're moving forward in presenting the value of caddies to the game."

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