The PGA Tour has developed a new scoring and statistical system. Its purpose is to enhance the presentation of the PGA Tour on television, on-site and in particular on the Internet.

The Shotlink system will supply information on distance, difficulty of shot, stance and lie, and what club the player hit from the tee and to the green along with other scoring and statistical information. A volunteer will follow each group with a hand-held electronic device.

On the completion of each shot the on-line observer will be able to have all details of the execution of each shot by every player in the field. The aspirations are that the public can compete against the pros on their computers. With the advances in technology, it does not seem all that far-fetched.

There is one vital link, that could well turn out to be the weakest link in the whole Shotlink scenario; the caddie. This system has been developed pretty much behind the players' and undoubtedly the caddies' backs. Figures of between $20 million to $13 million have been mentioned as the investment so far in the Shotlink development.

According to some volunteers who have attended early seminars on the new system, the caddie was clearly visible as a vital cog in passing information on to the volunteer scorer.

Earlier this year the same volunteers went to another seminar which included a similar video but this time the caddie was absent. Sensing some resistance from the caddie over his projected role in passing vital information, the Tour have obviously reconsidered the system without the help of the caddie.

The initial reaction by the caddies and players is that the scorers (nicknamed Betty-Lou) were going to be in the way. In a trial run during an event earlier in the year Brad Faxon said the Shotlink scorer interfered with him on five separate occasions in the space of one round. "That's why we don't want them out here," Faxon said. "If it happens one time, that's one time too many."

The caddie is not embracing the new system for a number of reasons. Reasons which the developers of Shotlink either did not consider or chose to ignore. Cayce Kerr, a long-time caddie on the US Tour, set up a committee immediately after the first announcements were made about the plans for Shotlink.

His committee outlined three main points in their response to the Tour - integrity of the game, diversion of attention and compensation. The integrity part naturally had not been considered by the Tour. If an integral part of the Shotlink was to know what club each player hits, how was the scorer supposed to get the information without perhaps showing the other players in the group what club he hit (this is obviously in breach of the rules).

Davis Love made the point that if all this information is available on-line and he has an afternoon tee time he can sit by his computer all morning seeing what club each player is hitting to each hole. This would definitely be a competitive disadvantage/advantage to players.

Diversion of attention is just as important for the caddie/player relationship. The conversation and mood between the player and his porter may not always be one the sensitive ear would want to be privy to. Caddying may not be rocket science but there are many tense moments during an average competitive round and adding another inquisitive face to the equation can frequently cause unnecessary strain.

The Tour have openly presented the only caddie concern about the proposed Shotlink system as being monetary compensation for providing the necessary information. Reportedly, Tour officials were spreading the word that purse supplements or player retirement plan contributions would have to be the source of any direct monetary compensation to caddies. Presenting the image of the caddie taking money out of the players' pocket.

While compensation for the player/caddie team may be a legitimate issue it is not necessary to address that point until the greater concerns of integrity and diversion of attention are adequately addressed.

The Tour may find, particularly if the players are as supportive of them as they are at present, that the caddie is the missing link in Shotlink. When the computer geek who concocted the idea of the world virtually competing against Tiger Woods every time he plays, he did not consider the lack of enthusiasm from the vital cogs in the information machine.

Back in February Tiger announced that his caddie Steve Williams would not participate with Shotlink in its present form. We may well see a Shotlink system in operation but it will not be the original version the Tour anticipated, rather an extremely diluted one.

The caddie has suddenly become a useful tool to the Tour and I hope they will take full advantage of that situation.