Johnny Buchna has been Joey Sindelar's caddy for the past 20 years on the PGA Tour.  'Bucky' grew up in Joliet Illinois where he club caddied and played golf in his youth and has been a caddy on the PGA Tour since 1980.  Over the years he's worked for Lou Graham, Andy Bean, Mark Calcavechia, John Daly, and a host of top players' as well when Joey takes a week or two off.  And in those 20 years he's caddied for Joey they have been exempt (top 125 or better on the money list) all but one year when Joey had an injury and they were 12Wa6 in that year.  As a player caddy team they have won a total of five times beginning in 1985 at Greensboro and it had been 14 years since their last win in Quad Cities until this great win at Wachovia here in 2004.  

CaddyBytes.com -I happened to catch Joey’s interview after winning on line.  He said some very revealing things, like when he was on #17 tee (difficult par 3 over the lake at Quail Hollow).  Like "I don’t know for sure I’ll have a job out here next year -he’s thinking this is a top 5 possibly a third place finish, that’s my two children's college fund taken care of right there.  If I hit it left that’s 150 thou (lost in the lake) –I’d rather lose 50 thou (if I err) to the right here!  I know you guy’s think I’m crazy but this is what’s going through my head.  (Actually it was a great insight into the kind of things that come up in a player's head in a given situation of a tournament).  So it doesn't really look like you'll win but Joey's playing magnificently and hanging in there close to the lead all day.   Then Aaron Oberholtzer makes a couple bogies on those last and most difficult finishing holes and suddenly you posted and now he’s got to make par on 18 to tie and force you guys into a playoff with him.  They said according to Joey, He asked you on  18 ‘Do we have a chance’ –what’d you tell him.

Johnny  -‘A par here and we need some help’ or something to that effect.  

CaddyBytes.com -–You guys make the turn at Quail Hollow and make a double bogey on the 10^th hole.  But you’re still not out of it as the field wasn’t going forward very much there on Sunday.  Did you say any thing to him at that point –what was your state of mind? 

Johnny  -We were in third place going into Sunday and a couple shots back of Oberholtzer.  And we were in it making the turn on Sunday and obviously that’s not how you want to begin the back nine.  (making a double bogey on #10).  At that point I thought we'd need to make a couple birdies and then we’ll need some help.  But Joey played great.  He plugged along and birdied 15, and birdied 16, and O had just made an eagle at 15 and we were three back but then Aaron bogied 16 and 17 and we birdied and that let us back in the game.  (To possibly win the tournament)

CaddyBytes.com –You guys hadn’t won in 14 years.  I remember a couple years ago when you had a legitimate chance to win at Honda and didn't quite get it done there (Matt Kuchar won) but he looked like the same cool and collected tournament winner of old.  I've got to think that the familiarity of you two being there together for so long was somehow reinforcing in helping Joey go through his process and stay focused and get the job done here like that late in his career!?  Now we know from that interview he gave a lot was going through his head!  And that 3 footer to win was no gimme, he didn’t look nervous on that one at all.

Johnny  -–We hit it to ten feet on first playoff hole and left the first birdie putt short.  The on the next playoff hole, the 16, one of the toughest holes on the golf course Joey hit it right down the middle.  And O hit it in the rough.  Joey then hit his birdie putt three and half feet by and Aaron missed his par putt and Joey made it (3 and 1/2 footer coming back) for the win -it looked like that on the replay to me too! (like it was easy) 

CaddyBytes.com –You’re working for a very nice man obviously it was a popular win amongst the players and caddies.  He credited you with hanging in there over the years, that you’re loyal, and that even though you like to party, he said ‘I could give him this winners check (one million dollars) and send him to Vegas for a week and ask him to hold it for me, and he would come back and still have the money, that’s the kind of guy he is.  Wouldn’t you say the greatest satisfaction is that kind of statement from your player is just as important as the money today which has become such a factor out here?

Johnny  -Definitely, I feel the same way about him as well. 

CaddyBytes.com –You're old school compared to the caddies out here today.  It's a caddies nightmare to be late to the golf course in this business -the classic show up, keep up, and shut up manner in which we were schooled -not always an easy thing to accomplish with caddy parking usually being away from the clubhouse and different cities each week and rush hour traffic and so on.  Joey said he’s chronically late and even though you do like to party (as do a lot of good caddies historically) he’s never beaten you to a golf course except one time -in all those years!?

Johnny  –Yeah that was when the cab  was an hour late and he beat me by a half an hour or so.  But if he say’s afternoon yeah but if he say's 6:30 he’s gonna be there at 6:30. 

CaddyBytes.com -What would you say is your greatest asset as a professional caddy -reading greens, pulling clubs, or what over the years?

Johnny  -Club selection.    

CaddyBytes.com -Great going and a popular win in the world of golf for both player and caddy.  It's true -good guys do win.  This one proves it!

Johnny  -Yeah, thanks!

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