From the Clubhouse to the Caddie House: The Most Unlikely Caddie at the 1986 Masters

Chuck Hofius with Kratzert in the 10th Fairway

Imagine you're at a cocktail party and over the music and hum of conversation, you hear a guy talking animatedly about the 1986 Masters. He mentions how he attended the Masters that year with no other goal but to spend a week away from work at the Mecca of Golf, but wound up being asked to caddy in the tournament. Intrigued, you slide into the group to hear him say that not only did he caddie, but the guy he caddied for was tied for the lead after the first round, was in second on Friday, and was paired with Seve Ballesteros on Saturday. You'd call BS on this guy in a heartbeat, wouldn't you? Sure you would. But if the guy's name was Chuck Hofius, you'd be owing him an apology.

Chuck Hofius, a 6 handicap golfer and district sales manager for M/A Comm from Huntington, IN, was known mostly for his role in selling the device that scrambled the signal for HBO during the eighties, as the satellite and cable TV industry were rapidly evolving. He was friends with PGA pro Billy Kratzert, a former hockey player known for his temper, reminiscent of a latter-day Happy Gilmore, albeit without the unusual slap-shot swing. Hofius and Kratzert met through Kratzert's wife, Cheryl Ann, and had maintained their friendship for about five or six years, often gathering at their favorite doughnut shop in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1985, Hofius attended the Masters to support Kratzert, whose T14 finish secured him a spot in the 1986 tournament. The two families decided to share a rental house in Augusta during the '86 Masters, and Hofius made the most of his Player's Guest badge, mixing and mingling on the course and throwing back martinis in the clubhouse, intent on fulfilling his goal for the week to "eat hot dogs, drink beer, and holler."

Hofius rode to the course with Kratzert Wednesday morning and after watching him hit a few balls on the driving range, decided he'd like to stretch his legs and check out the happenings on the the course. As he left, Kratzert told him he would see him at the first tee around 8:15 for his practice round with Fuzzy Zoeller and Hubert Green. With that, Hofius set off on his mini-adventure, soaking in the Masters atmosphere and taking pictures of the lush greenery at Augusta National. After a while, though, he began to feel a bit chilly. He headed over to the first tee to retrieve a sweater from Kratzert's golf bag, but upon his arrival, Kratzert was nowhere to be found.

For weeks, tensions had been simmering between Kratzert and his caddie, James Johnson, primarily due to Johnson's habit of showing up late for work. As Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Bill Lyon described it, their partnership was unraveling "like a marriage gone irretrievably bad." The boiling point came during the final round of the Greater Greensboro Open when, on the 9th hole, Johnson exploded in frustration. He tore off his caddie vest, dropped Kratzert's bag, and announced his resignation as he angrily stormed off the fairway. After taking a moment to cool down, Johnson reconsidered and returned to finish the round, but things still remained tense between the two. They made it through two practice rounds at Augusta National without killing one another, but on Wednesday morning, when Johnson showed up late yet again, Kratzert reached his breaking point. He confided in his wife that he didn't think he could go through a major championship while being at odds with his caddie. Sensing his frustration, Cheryl Ann encouraged him to make a change and asked if there was anyone in town who could caddie for him. "Yeah," Kratzert said after thinking it over for a minute, "Chuck."

Hofius waited at the first tee for a bit, but when 9:00 rolled around and still no Kratzert, Hofius went to look for him. He looked in the clubhouse and found him a short while later outside. "Hey, Billy, What are you doing?" Hofius asked Kratzert. "Looking for you," came the reply. "You're my caddie."

The answer stopped Hofius dead in his tracks. Kratzert had told him Sunday night that he was having trouble with his caddie. Surely, he thought, he wouldn't have done something like this the day before the Masters. "You're kidding," Hofius said, and as his brain struggled to process the moment, Kratzert pointed to his big orange PowerBilt golf bag and said matter-of-factly, "Pick up the bag. Let's get going." Hofius was in shock. His mouth went dry and his feet went numb and would barely move. He had never caddied before, not even as a kid. Heck, he could only think of one time that he had even used a caddie while playing.

It took an act of Congress to get Hofius a temporary caddie badge. He had to stand in the corner of Augusta National's caddie house as he went through all of the security measures and Kratzert vouched personally for his identity. "I know if I do something wrong," he said, "I'll never be heard from again. They'll haul me away and beat me with rubber hoses." He was issued the traditional white jump suit, a pair of white shoes, a green Augusta National hat, and caddie badge number 48, which gave him less access to the clubhouse than the Player's Guest badge that got him in the gate that morning. "I went from martini sandwiches in the clubhouse," he would joke later, "to chicken sandwiches in the caddie house!"

The two caught up with Zoeller and Green at the turn as Kratzert rejoined the group for the second nine that afternoon. Hofius caddied nine practice holes on Wednesday, as well as the Par-Three Tournament, still trying to get over the initial shock of actually caddying at the Masters. "You walk around in a daze," he related, "just in awe of this place." His only glitch that afternoon was when he almost tripped and fell walking down the 10th fairway. "That's all I needed, "he recalled with a laugh, "was to roll down the hill. They'd call me 'Bowling Ball.'" The playful banter continued that evening when they gathered for supper with Zoeller at the clubhouse. As a prank, Zoeller and Kratzert had a place set for Hofius on the patio. "That's where caddies are supposed to eat," they joked, their laughter echoing across the room.

The butterflies returned for Hofius Thursday morning, as he and Kratzert readied themselves for their 8:37 tee time with Roger Maltbie. "Heck, at this place, I'm afraid I'll make a faux pas OUTSIDE the ropes," Hofius confessed. He was so nervous that he walked the first nine with his had over his ears, having forgotten that it was adjustable. Still uncertain of Masters ettiquette, he stayed 90-degrees away from the players and was careful not to make any sudden movements. He didn't even handle a flagstick for the first four holes, afraid he would impale someone with a sudden pivot on the green.

Kratzert helped alleviate some of Hofius's nerves on the very first hole, when he hit a 5-iron onto the front of the green and holed a 60-foot tracer to the back-right pin for a birdie to start the tournament 1-under par. The former University of Georgia All-American required only 27 putts during the round, commenting afterward that he had "putted about as well as anyone could have." He made five birdies on the day--including three in a five-hole stretch--against only one bogey when he missed an 8-footer for par at the 9th, while shooting a 4-under-par 68 that left him tied with Ken Green for the first round lead. Asked afterward if he had anything to do with Kratzert's success on the greens, Hofius declined any credit. "Sure I know how to read putts," he said, "but not at the Masters." When asked what he had told Kratzert when he made his birdie at the first, Hofius said, "Nice putt."

Hofius looks on as Seve Ballesteros marks his ball.

Despite the rookie caddie's misgivings, Kratzert thought Hofius had done great. "Chuck was perfect," said Kratzert. "He never said a word." On occasion, Hofius would self-consciously whisper to Kratzert, asking where and making sure he wasn't in anyone's way, but otherwise, he kept mostly quiet. He added very little in the way of advice, which was fine with Kratzert, since he had been pulling his own clubs for about two years anyway. Even when asked if he should try this-or-that during the round, Hofius's response was simply,"Yep-Yep."

If nothing else, Hofius gained a whole new respect for caddies that day as he carried Kratzert's bag up and down the hills of Augusta National. "I weigh 170, and I'd swear that bag is 180, maybe 190, coming up 18." In all of his years watching and playing golf, he had taken caddies for granted. The traps were being raked, the golf balls were being cleaned, and the mud was being taken off the clubheads, but it all seemed like it was being done by elves. Now he was one of the elves. "He was great," said Kratzert. "He carried the bag, and he wiped the ball off. He'll be with me all week, and if I win here, I want him full time."

"No way!" protested Hofius. "My contract is strictly for the majors!" As the conversation continued, reporters inquired about his pay for the week, noting that the going rate for caddies was typically $200 plus 5 to 10 percent of winnings, when Kratzert interjected, "Zero." "He thinks zero," Hofius quickly countered, "but three more 68s and we're going to be talking."

In a post-round interview, Hofius was over his jitters, almost giddy with excitement as he cracked jokes with reporters about keeping his white jumpsuit as a souvenir of the week should Kratzert win. "The book is on the way, and the movie rights will be discussed soon," he laughed. "The book will be titled How WE Won the Masters. Five years from now, I'll be telling everyone how I clubbed him on every shot." Unfortunately for Hofius, Kratzert didn't win the 1986 Masters. He remained in contention with a 72 in the second round that left him in second place, one stroke behind leader Seve Ballesteros, but a third round 76 and a disastrous final round 79 left him in a tie for 42nd place with John Mahaffey.

Chuck Hofius didn't get his book deal or his movie, but he did get a chance to participate in one of the most historic Masters tournaments in history as Jack Nicklaus defied the odds to shoot a final round 65 and win his sixth Green Jacket at age 46, when nobody gave him a chance. "He came down to get a close look at the Masters," said Kratzert afterwards, "and I gave him a closer look than he ever imagined." In fact, only a handful of years earlier, when players used Augusta National's caddies, such an occurrence would not have been possible. Nowadays, it is more commonplace for PGA Tour pros to have friends on the bag. Harry Diamond caddies for Rory McIlroy, Austin Kaiser for Xander Schauffele, and Geno Bonnalie for Joel Dahmen. You could make a case that Kratzert may have had more success on the weekend with one of the National's caddies, but as Kratzert said, with everything he had been through with his caddie, "it really helped to have a friend as a caddie."

Bill Lyon likened Hofius making his debut as a caddie at the Masters to "a newly ordained priest celebrating his first Mass at the Vatican." Hofius himself reflected on his incredible experience, stating, "I came for the golf, but this has been the biggest thrill of my life. It's given me quite a perspective of the game. All of my friends are golfers, so they're probably thrilled, too." Yes, and might I add, a good degree jealous as well. Augusta National boasts a storied roster of legendary caddies, including the likes of "Pappy" Stokes, "Pete" Peterson, "Iron Man" Avery, and Carl Jackson. The post-1982 era has seen notable names such as Steve Williams, "Fluff" Cowan, and "Bones" Mackay take on the caddying role. Had Billy Kratzert stayed in contention for all four rounds of the 1986 Masters, we could add one more name to this illustrious list: Chuck "Bowling Ball" Hofius.

As Andy Warhol famously stated, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." With this light-hearted article reflecting on Hofius's experience forty years ago, we hope to extend that fleeting fame just a bit longer. As we gear up for another entertaining weekend in Augusta, let’s celebrate the unique stories that the Masters continues to inspire.

Happy Masters Weekend, everybody!

Hofius watches Kratzert hit his approach at 11