Luyen "From Top Assistant to Competitor"... 'Head-to-Head in PGA Tour'

Exclusive Caddie Gogate Passes 3M Open Monday Qualifier
Minnesota University Golf Team, Former Promising Amateur Player

A top assistant has become a competitor.

This is the story of Eric van Rooyen (South Africa), who plays on the PGA Tour. His longtime caddie, Alex Gogart, will not be carrying his bag at the 3M Open (total prize money $7.8 million), which opens on the 27th (local time) at TPC Twin Cities (par 71, 7,431 yards) in Blaine, Minnesota, USA.

Eric Van Rooyen (below) and Caddie Alex Gogate are reading the line on the 10th hole green during the second round of the Mexico Open last April.

Gogart is competing as a player in the 3M Open. As a PGA Tour hopeful, Gogart qualified for the 3M Open through Monday qualifying. It was a hard-earned ticket won after a playoff. Gogart played alongside van Rooyen on the University of Minnesota golf team. Although he was a promising player, winning the Wisconsin Amateur Championship in 2014, his professional career has not gone well, so he has been working as his friend van Rooyen’s caddie.

What’s even more astonishing is that the tournament organizers paired Gogart and van Rooyen in the same group for the first and second rounds. Making his PGA Tour debut, Gogart will compete against his employer. Gogart laughed, saying, "I often played match play bets with van Rooyen, giving him three strokes, and I only won once or twice."

Van Rooyen decided to hire a temporary caddie for the 3M Open. He said, "I’m very happy and proud that Alex is playing in a PGA Tour event. I hope he makes the cut, and I truly believe he will." Van Rooyen has one win each on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. This season, he has played in 23 events, finishing in the top 10 three times, and is ranked 127th in the FedEx Cup standings with 275 points.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.