When people think of Bill Murray and golf, they think of Caddyshack and the legendary actor’s antics at the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am. But Murray’s passion for the game began long before he became an A list celebrity as the Ghostbusters star caddied at a neighborhood course as a kid, launching a lifelong love affair with the game. Murray’s ties to golf made him a natural to be the narrator for “Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk,” a feature-film length documentary on the profession that will make its theatrical debut on June 7. The documentary is scheduled to appear in 55+ locations across the United States, including Myrtle Beach. The anticipated film, which tells the stories of the caddies from St. Andrews to Augusta National and features some of the profession’s biggest names, will be shown at AMC Theatres at Broadway at the Beach and Myrtle Beach Mall beginning June 7.
While the film is still weeks from its public debut, it has received great critical reviews, winning best documentary awards from the Cleveland International Film Festival in early April and the Newport Beach (CA) Film Festival in early May.
- “… wishing ‘Loopers’ could be a series with each vignette an episode. Better yet, with striking panoramics of St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Bandon, Carnoustie and other world-renowned courses, “Loopers” is reminiscent of the BBC’s “Planet Earth” series, educating while aesthetically captivating.” – Golf Digest (March 2019)
- “This weaves history with personality in telling a handful of specifically amazing golfer-caddie pairings, and is great even for those who hate golf.” – Santa Barbara Independent (January 30, 2019).
- “I’ve only played a handful of rounds of golf in my life, and I don’t particularly care about the sport. Still, I found ‘Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk’ compelling. Any time you get somebody talking about their life’s work you’re probably going to get some good stories.” – Filmthreat.com (February 15, 2019).
- “Loopers charts the history of golf from its origins in Scotland to modern times. Traditionally, the caddie’s mantra was to ‘show up, keep up and shut up.’ They were banned from the clubhouse and treated poorly. However, they became an important part of the sport, acting as the player’s technical adviser, psychologist and confidant.” – Sunday Times, Ireland (February 2, 2019).
The film also includes interviews with World Golf Hall of Famers Sir Nick Faldo, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange and former Masters Tournament and U.S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller. Professional caddies who participated include Steve Williams (Tiger Woods’ former caddie), Carl Jackson (Crenshaw), Fanny Sunesson (Faldo), Pete Bender (Greg Norman and others), Michael Greller (Jordan Spieth) and Jariah “Jerry” Beard (Zoeller at the 1979 Masters). Longtime golf journalists Rick Reilly, Michael Collins and Ward Clayton are also interviewed.
If you get a chance, Loopers, which runs 80 minutes, is absolutely worth a watch.
