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Caddie Cam The action is always hot at Southern Hills

I've caddied at Southern Hills four times--during a U.S. Open, a
Tour Championship and two PGAs. Three words best describe the
experience: hot, damn hot. With sweat gushing like the oil from
the nearby derricks, Hubert Green survived the '77 Open despite a
death threat on Sunday and temps in the high 90s. That week I
worked for "Terrible" Tommy Bolt, who shot the temperature for
the first two rounds and missed the cut. But Tommy did throw four
or five clubs just to keep up appearances. Five years later, at
the PGA, Ray Floyd won with a towel draped over his shoulders for
72 holes. It was so hot they were spraying the greens and the
galleries, and caddies were dropping like Apaches in a Western.
The '94 PGA was much the same. Jeff (Squeeky) Medlen, who had
notched PGA victories caddying for John Daly at Crooked Stick in
'91 and for Nick Price at Bellerive in '92, finished his triple
crown with Nick at Sizzling Hills. I look forward to returning to
Tulsa next week, but I sure do hope a slow-moving cold front
comes through.

Linn Strickler, a.k.a. Growler, is a veteran Tour caddie.

COLOR PHOTO: DAVID WALBERG