Rusty Uresti has been a caddy on the PGA Tour since 1995 and was 'on the bag' for Frank Lickliter for the win in the 2003 Chrysler Tucson Open.  Rusty  was once part of a battery who caught Roger Clemens in college at the University of Texas in 1982 finishing third in the College World Series in his sophomore year there.  He caddied for his brother Omar Uresti for six years on the PGA Tour until he lost his playing privileges and then worked for assorted other players in the past two years.   He began caddying for Frank at this year's Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and they won the 2003 Chrysler Tucson Open in this their fourth tournament together:

CaddyBytes.com -I got to see the last five holes on television after being paired with you two the first two days in Tucson.  Frank hit it great the first two days for the most part with a lot of high soft shots often close to the hole at the firm Tucson National greens and mostly in a cold rainy week of golf.  Frank made a bushel full of putts the first two days -a necessity usually if you're going to win on tour. How did you guys play on the weekend and putt?   How did it go on the weekend? 

Rusty -Frank played great all weekend!

CaddyBytes.com -I turned on the telecast and saw you guys finish the tournament on Sunday.  On the fourteenth hole Frank had a putt of about 4 feet or so after hitting a great second shot there.  And the situation at the time was Frank leading Chad Campbell (with whom you were paired in the final group on Sunday), and with Chad making a great run at your lead with a hot front nine and now just one shot back.  Chad two putts from about 25 feet from just under the hole, and Frank has this short birdie putt of the sort which I watched him drain with regularity the first two days of the week.  And instead Frank pulls the putt badly leaving him almost the same distance coming back downhill for par.  (Which he makes)  Looks like he might have started to leak a little oil there with the heat on.  Then you guys go to #15 into a cold wind and miss your third shot about five paces right of a right hand pin on the par 5 hole there with Campbell about 5 feet above the hole for birdie.  Chad makes his birdie four to tie you guys.  Then Frank makes a pressure putt for a scrambling par putt to remain tied for the lead there..?

Rusty -The second shot he hit a 2 iron missed it a little right and caught a tree.  Then he had an eight iron from 146 from the right side into the wind and missed it right of the green there.

CaddyBytes.com -Then I see you guys on the par four sixteenth with Frank hitting first from about 160 something and a big wind comes up from down off of Lemon Mountain in the background there.  Frank hits the shot and misses it short in the front bunker.  Then Frank comes out of the bunker to about three feet under the hole and Chad knocks his downhill 18 footer way by and misses it coming back for par.  Frank makes his and back to a one shot lead for you guys.   Then you go to #17 and Frank hits a great shot into a back left pin into the par 3 and Chad misses his tee shot short in the front bunker.  You have a weather delay, come back out, Chad gets his ball up and down for par and Frank two putts.  Then I see you guys go to the finishing hole now one up and with Frank hitting first.  How did your decision to hit driver there come about as you could also have played a safer shot over the lake and between the two hazards.  Instead Frank elected to hit driver with a one shot lead and a tough par four hole.  Hadn't you almost hit it in the lake on Saturday left and instead saved by the gallery stopping the ball from running through into the water there?

Rusty -That's correct and we made bogey there on Saturday.  The weather wasn't really downwind it was still.  We hit driver there all four days.  There was no discussion about the club selection off the tee.  Frank just grabbed the driver, that was his decision and I wasn't going to put any doubt in there at that point and time.  

CaddyBytes.com -Did you know that your tee shot went through the fairway in the left center of the fairway and then (barely) trickled into the water there?

Rusty -After we hit ours in the water we didn't show any emotion.  I don't think Frank even knew that it went in the water.  I knew it did as the spotter over there kind of pointed down.  Frank thinks he's dry.  Chad has a driver in his hand and sets it down against the bag and I'm thinking he's going to hit his three wood but then he pulls his jacket off and picks the driver back up.  I think that Chad thought our ball (drive) was still up.  Then Chad hits his drive and it looks perfect but he also hits it through into the water left.  

CaddyBytes.com -So you're both in the water off the tee and Frank is first to hit.  You've got a one shot lead with both of you playing your third shots now into the eighteenth green.  What did you have into the green for your (now) third approach shot?

Rusty -We got two drops that rolled and had to place it.  Hit a high draw five iron to 194 yards and Frank hit it four feet behind the hole.  Chad was up further and hits a six iron to about 20 feet and misses his par putt.  Frank then has a two putts for his bogey from four feet to win and makes it for the par four and the win instead!

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