BANGOR, Maine — Don Robertson is taking a week off from his regular job to play in the Greater Bangor Open.
He began playing in the Greater Bangor Open in 1977 and has made most of them ever since.
The Texan could be missing out on a sizeable paycheck by playing in the Greater Bangor Open and then playing in the Maine Open at the Augusta Country Club on Monday and Tuesday because his regular job is serving as the caddy for Champions Tour regular Scott Dunlap.
Dunlap is playing in the Senior British Open at the Sunningdale Golf Club in England. Dunlap shot an even-par 70 in Thursday’s first round and is tied for 51st.
Robertson also had been Dunlap’s caddy on the PGA and Nationwide Tours before Dunlap turned 50 on Aug. 16, 1983, and eventually qualified for the Champions (Seniors) Tour.
Dunlap was the Champions Tour’s Rookie of the Year last season after finishing 10th on the money list with $1,100,891. He had six top-10 and 14 top-25 finishes in 22 events. He had four top-10s and seven top-25s through 12 events this season entering the Senior British Open. He is 25th on the money list with $448,471.
“This is what I do this time of year for a couple of weeks,” said the 62-year-old Robertson. “I stay with friends, see some buddies and play the [Greater Bangor Open] and Maine Open.
“You can’t beat New England in the summer. It has been over 100 degrees in Texas,” Robertson added. “This has become a hobby for me.”
He enjoys his gig as a caddy.
“It’s great, especially on the Champions Tour. You only play three days, you can use carts for the pro-am, there are no cuts and everybody gets paid,” said Robertson.
He has been Dunlap’s caddy for four years overall and said “we have been friends for 25 years.”
“It’s pretty easy, and working for him is pretty easy. He’s a great ball striker. You don’t get a lot of surprises when he makes a swing,” Robertson said. “I enjoy it. You only work 21-22 weeks a year, I get to play golf and pursue all the other hobbies I have.
“I made more money last year than I had ever made as a caddy and I worked less. You can’t beat that,” added Robertson, who will rejoin Dunlap for the 3M Championship at TPC Twins Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, from July 31-Aug. 2.
Robertson made over $100,000 last year.
Robertson’s best finish in the Greater Bangor Open was second in 1979 to amateur Mark Plummer.
“He won the tournament, but I got the money,” said Robertson.
He was impressed with the Bangor Municipal Golf Course, saying “it’s the best I’ve ever seen it.”
Greater Bangor Open regular enjoyed U.S. Open
Greater Bangor Open regular Rich Berberian Jr. played in the U.S. Open last month at the challenging Chambers Bay Golf Course in Washington.
He qualified by tying for third in a sectional qualifier in Purchase, New York.
Berberian was the only club pro in the field. He is the assistant pro at the Windham Country Club in New Hampshire.
He shot a 13-over-par 83 the first day and two-over 72 the second day. He missed the cut.
It was the 27-year-old’s only PGA Tour appearance.
“Everything was new and different. It was a great course. It was fun. It wasn’t like a typical U.S. Open course, it was more like a links course,” said Berberian. “It wasn’t windy, and that made it enjoyable.”
He said the way the greens were contoured made approach shots challenging.
“There were some tough holes. Sometimes you had to hit the ball to the other side of the green to get it close to the hole. You had to hit it away from the flag. If you tried to hit it at the flag, you’d never get it close,” said Berberian.
He shot an even-par 69 in the first round of the Greater Bangor Open on Thursday.