He’s the right-hand man of the main man.
Sam Pinfold, “Pinna” to everyone in golf from his home base near Wellington to Augusta and beyond, is Cameron Smith’s caddie.
But as the coverage of the 2022 Open champ gathers steam at Murray Downs this weekend, you’ll doubtless see Pinfold become so much more.
Through the rise and rise of the larrikin Queenslander, the Kiwi bagman has become a crucial figure at his side.
So as Smith carries the heady mix of honour and burden that comes with being the marquee attraction of this week’s Ford New South Wales Open, Pinfold’s role expands to different levels than simply the bloke who barks out distances and keeps clubs gleaming.
He’s also part time-bouncer, full-time meteorologist and even occasionally a psychologist as Smith negotiates the highs and lows of every round – all under the watchful eye of a nation eager to cheer him home.
They united by chance when Pinfold’s original bag, that of Michael Sim, failed to make the weekend cut at the 2014 New Zealand Open.
The Kiwi jumped on with Smith for the weekend and – after a few months and a mountain of logistics – the two became a golfing tandem and have scarcely looked back.
Bar a handful of events since 2015, they’ve marched the world’s fairways to a winning beat.
And while it would be tough to match the scenes at St Andrews when Smith reached golf’s summit in 2022, Pinfold says it’s amazing to see the warmth and sense of familiarity that Aussie crowds have for his charge.
“It’s very cool, actually. It’s always amazing to come home and play – not that it’s actually home for me – but to see all the Aussie fans come out and support him is incredible,” Pinfold said.
“He loves it. He’s not trying to be (a man of the people), it’s just who he is – he loves playing, he’s at home and he enjoys it.
“And being here (in regional NSW) is fun – it’s great to see another part of the world and another great golf course.
“It’s a cool little town (Swan Hill across the border) and we got out on the river (fishing) yesterday, so no complaints.”
Pinfold said he’d noticed two distinct spikes in Smith’s popularity inside the ropes – once after his Open triumph and then again after LIV golf in Adelaide, particularly earlier this year when his Team Ripper triumphed in a pulsating playoff.
“Yeah, it’s definitely grown again, it’s great for Australian golf, it’s great for Cam and it’s really cool to see what he means to the kids and what he gives back to juniors who come out to watch.”
The enthusiasm in Pinfold’s voice remains remarkably high after nearly a decade, a span precious few player-caddie combos even vaguely approach.
As loopers go, he knows he’s on a great bag – but his ride is much more than just golf deep.
Aside from fishing – to no avail – for an elusive Murray cod on Tuesday, the pair recently spent days out on the Great Barrier Reef on another far more successful angling expedition.
They catch up socially in their Florida base, along with other Team Ripper members and their entourages.
And in comparison to the US PGA Tour’s taxing year-round demands, the freedom now afforded to Smith’s schedule through the LIV calendar means they have time apart to keep things as fresh as ever.
“Yeah, aside from one fishing trip, we basically just had seven weeks apart and so when you come back, you’re sharing stories and just catching up … like mates do,” Pinfold said.
“But when you get out on course, both of us know what the other one needs – I certainly do to him and it’s great to be able to stand and deliver and keep the train rolling.
“We still play something like 22 or 23 weeks a year, with the LIV schedule, the majors, these Aussie events and maybe one or two in Asia, but it’s condensed which is better.
“For me, having January off now is fantastic and getting busy around majors is good and getting chunks of time off is really good for us all.
“And when we come to this, we’re ready to go … and that’s good for everyone.”
