CADDIE'S ROLE:Working for Retief Goosen was a chance to be a part of life at the pinnacle of world golf

ALMOST FIVE years ago I was in a similar position to the situation I am in at the moment - between bags. With a life expectancy of three years in a good caddie/player relationship, stretching my partnership with Retief Goosen to almost half a decade is acceptable.

Back then I had just finished with Paul Lawrie, and I had managed a three-year stint with him. Our working relationships on tour are largely based on success: good golf will tend to sustain a relationship. The majority of us do not have contracts, so the option is always there for both parties to opt out if they feel like a change.

It is, of course, a precarious existence this global looping, the lack of certainty would not suit everyone. But a non-contractual relationship is actually the most efficient system, as strained relations are impossible to sustain in a competitive environment. It is best for both parties that they are free to move.

Many of us can hear the "axe being ground" at the end of a bad run, the mood and gestures betray a decay in communication. It is not the easiest conversation to broach: "Eh, we need to have a chat about things."

Often the caddie is the first to go in an attempt to turn a career around. There is nothing like a fresh voice to give a player a shot in the arm, the same old lines of encouragement have a limited shelf-life. I know mine was a tired voice droning out the numbers to my man over the past year.

When I got the call up from Retief about three weeks after finishing with Paul Lawrie at the end of 2003 it was unexpected, exciting and flattering. For those of us caddies who have had relatively sustained partnerships, being between bags is a little unnerving. It is then that you become aware of how the bush telegraph works on tour. Without telling too many people about my split last week I received a lot of calls from both Europe and the States confirming the news.

So how do you go about getting a new bag? You become aware of the efficiency of players' managers. If you are on tour the caddie shack, of course, is where the rumours, both true and false, begin. If not, then you are reliant on the phone to ring or the message box to catch your eye on the lap-top.

So the question was posed to me by Retief's manager back in 2003 if I would be interested in caddying for the world-beating South African. Feigning hesitation I naturally replied positively with as much delay as I could muster given he would be the best player I had ever worked for. This was the promotion all of us toters hoped for. Some get the chance, others don't, and I still do not really understand how it works.

Retief changed my life. I was given the opportunity to work for one of the Big Four of that era: Tiger, Mickelson, Ernie and Retief. It is not like I had not served my time, but who knows if "the" opportunity will arise and if you will be available to accept it if it does? It had finally happened for me.

All vessels are raised on a rising tide and this particularly applies to a caddie for a top player.

My first impression in those first few weeks with Goosen was that not only did everyone want a piece of the boss, they were also tugging at the bagman.

I had always tried to avoid socialising with my previous players for the simple reason that we spend enough time together on the course, it is best to keep our free time to ourselves and have something to discuss on the course the next day. Retief enjoys spending time with his caddie. It was very different for me and it took me some time to get used to his hospitality without seeming ungrateful.

I would go back to spend time with him and his family in America when we had spare time. More recently, I was invited to fly with him on many of the longer trips we took. I was always included in dinners and social functions at the tournaments that he was invited to play world wide. I got to places that caddies were not really used to going to; dinner with the daughter of the former leader of China, sports events where tickets only seemed to become available to top sports stars. It was an opportunity that Retief's status and inclusive nature afforded me.

I had never been in a situation before where I felt that every week your player teed up in a tournament he had a chance of winning. But as intangibly as that mood pervades when confidence is high, it is equally as evasive when form disappears.

From winning the US Open in our first year together and nine other events in our lengthy partnership, our union has run its course. Working for Retief was a rare opportunity to observe and participate in life at the very pinnacle of world golf.

I remember trying to savour the dream of my first year caddying for Retief and telling myself that nothing lasts forever. It has been a life-changing run for me to be the wing-man for one of the best golfers in the world. Not only did he treat me well, but he also played well.

It is a new departure for both of us to try to find, in his case, a voice to suit his ears and, in mine, a pair of ears suited to my voice.

We will officially sign off after the Grand Slam in Bermuda in a couple of weeks. It has been a wonderful experience for me to have been so privileged to have assisted one of the best players in the world in his quest for greatness.