When Eric Larson was in a cell serving 11 years for dealing cocaine, he would fantasise about returning to professional golf and being part of a Ryder Cup in his home state of Wisconsin. And next week, the 60-year-old will finally get the chance when he caddies for Harris English in the biennial match against Europe.
“It’s the ultimate dream for me, at a place not too far from where I grew up,” says Larson. “It’ll be another chapter in an interesting life, and, yes, I’ve thought about writing a book. But who in the hell wants to read a book about a guy who’s been to jail?”
The answer to that question is plenty, if only because this hugely popular character on the circuit is an inspirational example of how a person suffering in the depths can turn his or her life around. The caddie community is rightly proud of the man they call “Elar”, with www.thecaddienetwork.com keen to promote this redemptive tale. “It is a story that will blow your mind,” a spokesperson said.
English, himself, is an avowed fan. The 31-year-old, who makes his Ryder Cup bow at Whistling Straits, sees only the positives in employing an ex-convict. “I respect his story,” English said. “Eric could have gone two different ways after going through what he went through, and he chose probably the hardest way. That was to pick himself up and keep going and make himself something. He has obviously been through a lot in his life. There’s nowhere I can put him on a golf course that’s going to be in a worse spot than he was in 15 or so years ago. I know he has my back and he’ll do anything for me. And I’ll do anything for him, too.”
This will be Larson’s third Ryder Cup on the bag of a rookie, after Anthony Kim in 2008 and Jeff Overton in 2010. Both enjoyed fine debuts and his expert handling of the novices earned him the tag of “The Minder”. Now, Larson chalks up a hat-trick of first-timers, which is believed to be a first. It is a far cry from his decade in four different federal institutions, stretching from California to Miami
Larson was working for Mark Calcavecchia, the 1989 Open champion, when he was arrested in the mid-90s. “I did it for monetary purposes only,” Larson said. “I didn’t use it, and I never brought it out on Tour. Was I a major drug dealer? No. Did I drive fancy cars? No. That doesn’t make it any better. I violated the law and I deserved to be penalised.”
Larson, who also caddied for another Ryder Cupper in Ken Green, supplied his hometown friends in Appleton – just an hour from Whistling Straits – through contacts he made in Florida and because the crime crossed state lines, he was hit with a 13-year sentence. “There are murderers and rapists who get out earlier,” was Calcavecchia’s view.
He was a regular visitor, as was Green. “I can’t tell you how many times I walked out of there and said, ‘Man, I don’t know how he does it?’” Green said. “You looked at the other people who were in there, and you knew these weren’t nice people. I would have killed somebody or gotten killed myself if I had been in the hole that long.”
Instead Larson refused to get down – “you can’t be bitter or you’ll never get on with your life,” he said – and put his time to good use, achieving a degree in business administration and assisting other inmates.
In his time inside, Larson befriended Jordan Belfort – the rogue trader whose fraudulent career was the basis for the film Wolf of Wall Street – and Tommy Cheech, one half of the comedy duo known for their obsession with cannabis. Both Belfort and Cheech later credited Larson with helping with their personal redemptions.
Yet he still had his own restitution for which to aim. “I would dream about going back to the PGA Tour,” Larson said. “Mark always told me, ‘Just do all the right things, when you get out, you’ll have a job. Hopefully, I can play well for you for a few years and then you can find a young player.’ ”
Larsson was released in December 2005 and a year later he and Calcavecchia won again on the PGA Tour. With the near £50,000 commission, and the remarkable patronage of his faithful ally, Larson had resumed his journey to golf’s wonderlands and the next stop is the destination at the very top of his wishlist.
“Calc’s support meant everything,’’ Larson said. “It’s the reason I’m still caddying. Obviously, with my background, there are players who would say, ‘nah, it’s probably not a good idea.’ But Calc didn’t care. He stuck true to his word. It made me work even harder to do the right things and get out and do the best I can and here we are, 15 years later, doing a Ryder Cup near home and having my greatest season as a caddie with Harris. I’m very, very fortunate.’’