caddie Helps
coughlin Laugh
Her Way to Women’s Amateur triumph
Looper’s comic relief served as relaxing ally for fellow
U.Va. student-athlete | by liSa D. MiCKeY
The pressure was mounting and
Coughlin could feel it as she prepared
to face long-hitting western Virginian
Amanda Hollandsworth of Floyd for the
championship at The Country Club of
Virginia’s Tuckahoe Creek Course in
Richmond.
Then, out of a car emerged boyfriend
John Pond––all 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds
of him––to serve as her caddie and personal
comedian for the scheduled 36-hole final.
“She didn’t talk about it, but there had to
be pressure,” says Pond, a walk-on center for
the University of Virginia’s football team. “I
figured I’d just keep it light.”
“Light,” as in delivering quotable lines
from golf films “Caddyshack” and “Happy
Gilmore.” With deadpan delivery, Pond knew
how and when to make Coughlin forget bad
shots or lost holes in the match-play final.
“Somehow, he quoted lines that were
always relevant to the moment,” laughs
Coughlin, 20, a junior at Virginia, who
returns this fall to play her second year for
the Cavaliers’ women’s golf team.
One such occasion came on the 29th
hole in the afternoon session of the
championship. Coughlin had just lost the
previous hole and was feeling tired. Her
momentum was starting to slip when Pond
quoted a line from “Happy Gilmore.”
“Just be glad I’m not taking a bath,” he
22
said, referring to a scene in the film where
Gilmore was looking for his lost golf ball
while his caddie was taking a bath in a
water hazard.
Pond, who readily admits his knowledge
of golf is limited to comedic golf films, says
he was there to support Coughlin and keep
her from getting down on herself.
“I was probably more nervous than she
was,” says Pond, 20, of Matoaca, Va. “I was
just trying to stay out of peo x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x?&[?HX?B??XZ?H[?H?[?[\X? \? YX\??x?&[B??] \? ?\\?Y ??'B??[???Y?[?XYH\???Y?HX?]?[? H?[? ? L? ?H ?] \??YH?\?? ??[?????H? ?][?\?
?K?]?[? ?[?\???X???]?]??Y?[?[?[?]?[?\? YX\? ??]?B?[??\? [?[?? X[HY[X?\?H?[??H ?^K]?[[?Y??&]?]H?Y?]]?H ?XX?[???[??XY ?H ?]?Y??Y?[? ?[??]??H??\??H ??Y\???\? X[[X]K???']8?&\? ?]?[?? X[H ^Y\? ?H\?8?'B?]?[[???\?8?'?H ?[?HH ?\?H????X[H \? YX\?[?H ?YH]\?[??Z[??H?^B?^Y\??? \??'B???P?S?SQT?T?U???T??U?T???Q?S?S?T??QQN?S?U?T??UH??T??S?PB????]\?[???Y?[??\?YH ?X?] ?X\???Y?[?\? ]H]?\? ?[[Y\??&\??\??[?XB??]H???\????X][????Y[??&\?[X]]\???[\[??\ ???? ? ? ? ??H ?? ??? ?? ?L????SB??