C.T. Pan was forced to enlist the help of four different caddies - including a fan from the gallery - in the final round of the RBC Canadian Open. The Taiwanese golfer’s normal caddie, Mike “Fluff” Cowan, suffered a fall on Hole 3 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, forcing him to depart from the tournament.
According to PGA officials, Cowan’s injury was fortunately “nonserious,” though his absence left Pan scrambling to find a replacement to carry his bag for the rest of the round. The 32-year-old first turned to Paul Emerson, a fan who works as an insurance company lawyer in Aurora Ontario, per NBC Sports .
Donning a caddie bib over his Masters T-shirt, Emerson accompanied Pan for one hole before being relieved of his duties. He was quickly replaced by Michael Campbell, a member of caddie services, on Hole 5.
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Campbell’s tenure as caddie lasted from holes five through nine. According to Sportsnet’s Adam Stanley , Pan’s wife offered to assume the role, even bringing a stand bag to the tee at Hole 10 in anticipation for her husband.
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But it was ultimately Al Riddell, who caddies for PGA Tour golfer Paul Barjon, that took over the job. Speaking to The Athletic’s Lukas Weese , Riddell divulged that he was about to leave the house to get a cup of coffee when his father pointed out Cowan’s fall on television.
Living in Hamilton, Ontario - just a 15 minute drive from the Hamilton Golf and Country Club - Riddell quickly snagged his yardage book and made the trip to the golf course to see if Pan was in need of his assistance. He subbed in for the back nine, serving as caddie for the remainder of the round.
C.T. Pan used four different caddies during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)“I just went over to see him to see if he was OK, if he needed someone and then I jumped in on the back nine,” Riddell told The Athletic on the heels of Pan’s round. “I didn’t give him the yardage. I didn’t even have a hole location sheet.”
Pan and Riddell had worked together in the past, as the latter caddied for the former on PGA Tour Canada, which previously went by the name “Mackenzie Tour.”
Despite the unprecedented circumstances, Pan managed to finish the round 1-under 69. His highlight of the day came on Hole 12, where the 2019 RBC Heritage winner holed out for eagle. As of writing, his 3-under finish is tied for 36th place.
Cowan, meanwhile, is expected to make a full recovery after his scary fall. The 76-year-old first started full-time caddying for Pan back in May. Prior to that, he served as Jim Furyk’s caddie from 1999 to 2024, additionally working with Tiger Woods during his win at the 1997 Masters .
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