Q&A with Wyndham Clark's caddie John Ellis

CASTLE PINES VILLAGE, Colo. – Wyndham Clark would be lying if he said he’s not feeling an extra inkling of pressure.

The Colorado native is the state’s lone representative in this week’s BMW Championship. It’s his first time playing a PGA TOUR event in his home state, in college the last time the TOUR played in the Rocky Mountain state.

“I definitely feel a little more pressure,” Clark said Tuesday.

Alongside family and friends that are expected to take in the occasion, Clark will have his closest confidant on the bag: John Ellis, who has caddied for Clark since he turned pro in 2017.

“I feel like John was meant to be my caddie,” Clark said during the week of his U.S. Open victory two years ago.

Ahead of the BMW Championship at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado, Ellis sat down to answer fan-submitted questions about a variety of topics, ranging from on-course snacks to his favorite music to play in the car.

Q: How many days a year do you spend traveling?

JE: 200 days.

Q: How often do you play golf? Or do you try to get away from the game when you're not working?

JE: I probably play 15 times a year. I used to play more. We used to play Wednesdays of tournament weeks, but we're in all the pro-ams now. His rookie year, though, we used to have matches on Wednesday, so it was really fun.

Q: How does a disagreement between you two regarding a shot tend to be resolved?

JE: I usually gotta take the blame or we'll go over it and be like, ‘This is what I was thinking. It's on me.’

Q: Do you arrive a day early to look at the planning conditions? How long do you spend studying the course prior to the tournament?

JE: A new course (like Castle Pines), I get there Sunday night and I'll study Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. If it’s a course that we've been to for five years in a row and it hasn't changed, maybe, you know, Tuesday, Wednesday.

Q: Do you enjoy everyone’s dream job being a professional caddie? Are there any parts of the job you dislike?

JE: It is a dream job. The hard part is being away from our families. Married with kids makes it tough.

Q: Love the story of Wyndham playing around with Rickie Fowler’s putter then winning a major championship with it. How often do players mess around with other players' gear?

JE: More than you think. If somebody's doing well with a club or a putter or there's a new driver, everybody's inclined to be like, ‘what do you got going over there?’ So that stuff happens more than you think.

Q: You tee off in the first group. How early do you set your alarm?

JE: Three hours before the tee time.

Q: How did you get your job? Do you need special caddie training, or do you just have to be good at golf?

JE: I was his college golf coach. I think it helped that I played professionally for a long time, so I kind of knew what was going on.

Q: What kind of foods do you and Wyndham like on the course?

JE: Bobo’s Bars and peanut butter and jelly on gluten free bread.

Q: Be honest. Does he get on your freaking nerves?

JE: Well, I spend as much time with him as I do my wife, so. Yes.

Q: Do you ever get to play the courses you loop on? What's the best one?

JE: Yes. Augusta National.

Q: Did you play on the PGA TOUR Canada in 2008 and 2009?

JE: Yes. Player of the Year.

Q: What kind of music do you play in the car?

JE: Country.

This interview was lightly edited for clarity.