Cornwall Golf Union
Caddie Batts - a Spanish Olympian in Rio!
Cornish Professional golf caddie Mike Batty is well known at his home club in Newquay and has been from the time he was a junior there. Having taken the plunge some 15 years ago and gone ‘looking for a bag’ at professional events across Europe he will not have anticipated the success this turned out to be nor the hard graft behind achieving it. The former home town boy and hotel worker is now a veteran traveller familiar with airports and hotels across the world and this week he will be 5,500 miles away in Rio de Janeiro at arguably the biggest achievement of his career, the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Many will recall Batts caddying for St Mellion’s Adam Frayne in the 2006 Open Championship at Hoylake but today Mike will be on the bag of Rafael Cabrera-Bello, one of Spain’s two representatives in the inaugural Olympic Men’s Golf event - the other is one Sergio Garcia! Cabrera-Bello sets out in the last tee time today with open Champion Henrik Stenson and Thongchai Jaidee so ‘Batts’ is moving in illustrious company, something he has done for many years now.
Since teaming up with Cabrera-Bello, the pair have tasted considerable success, enjoying a brilliant start this year as RCB finished runner-up in back-to-back weeks in Qatar and Dubai and 11th in the WGC-Cadillac Championship before having a great week in the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin, Texas, where he eventually lost to Louis Oosthuizen in the semi-finals. He downed Rory McIlroy in the third place match with the additional consolation being a debut appearance in the Masters two weeks later, where he finished 17th. Mike was on the bag when RCB claimed his second European Tour victory in 2012 at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic, where he held off McIlroy and Lee Westwood, among others.
Cabrera-Bello’s performances this year have him favourite to claim an outright spot in Darren Clarke’s European team for this year’s Ryder Cup at Hazeltine next month.
We caught up with Mike in Rio where he has been since last Friday. He says “Caddying has taken me to some amazing places right across the world and to some great golf courses but I never thought I would end up at the Olympics”.
He continued “Sergio, Rafa and team captain Manuel Pineiro joined the rest of the Spanish team and headed to the opening ceremony, whilst Glenn (Sergio's caddie) and I took a walk around the Athletes Village, and got settled into our apartment. Village is probably the wrong description - it is more like a small city. Everything is here, a 24 hr food hall, massive gym, running/bike track, laundry, McDonalds, even a daily village newspaper.”
His stay in Rio has afforded other opportunities though. “We have been able to go & watch some events in the evenings. Last night we went & saw Lopez & Nadal win their match in the men's doubles tennis. It's also been really interesting to see how the athletes train, what they eat etc.” Mike is himself a keen and accomplished runner and is often seen pounding the roads when back in Newquay.
As many of the golfers competing in Rio have publicly acknowledged already, Mike suggests they are just another set of sportsmen and women taking part in the global games. “I think it's been good for the golfers staying here to see that for once it's not all about them! They walk around here and they are just another athlete. Like everyone else here they get in line for their food and take a bus to the venues. No players lounge and courtesy cars this week!”
Preparation for the golf is paramount though and Mike - a 6 handicapper himself - is known for his fastidious planning. “I went and walked the course on Saturday, with Manuel Pineiro, and made my notes. Rafa played 9 holes and practiced on Sunday and Monday. Team Espana played 18 holes together on Tuesday and today (Wednesday) we did a light practice. Now we are all ready for the start tomorrow! Viva Espana!”
At the risk of upsetting any all out English fans we wish Spain and Batts the very best!
The Newquay based Batty family have long been associated with golf in Cornwall. Mike’s father Geoff is a former President of the Cornwall Golf Union and brother Peter, a former CGU Secretary, is now Secretary at the town’s club. Mother Jill is a former Ladies Captain at Newquay.
Picture above shows Team Spain (L to R: Mike Batty, Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Manuel Pineiro, Sergio Garcia and Glenn Murray)
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