A couple of years ago, Hudson Feuerbacher snagged an autograph from one of the Korn Ferry Tour players who was in town for the area’s largest sporting event.
And so two weeks ago, he decided to message James Nicholas on a social media account and asked if he needed a caddy.
Turned out, Feuerbacher – who will be a sophomore at Glendale High School this fall – not only helped Nicholas “Monday qualify” earlier this week but did one better.
The two are a tandem on Championship Sunday of the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr Pepper after Nicholas parred No. 18 when play resumed Saturday morning, ensuring he made the cut at Highland Springs Country Club.
Feuerbacher, of course, was all smiles. Braces and all. Just days ago, Nicholas advanced to a Tuesday playoff out of the Monday qualifier and landed right here in the thick of it all.
“I didn’t know if I’d get a response,” Feuerbacher said of messaging the New York native. “A buddy of mine said, ‘You should DM James Nicholas and see if he needs caddy for the Monday Q. I said, ‘All right,” and so I did. And I got a response pretty quick.”
Feuerbacher has been playing golf for seven years now. In fact, his dad took a photo of him in 2011 of him standing by a flag stick on this very course.
“It was just a cool experience walking around and figuring out how they hit it,” Feuerbacher said. “And then just talking to him through a game plan. I’m excited to do that for two more days.”
“If (Nicholas) asks a questions,” Feuerbacher said, “I’ll give him my opinion. Sometimes he takes it, sometimes he doesn’t.”
His dad, Brad is a member of Hickory Hills Country Club, and his grandmother, Rita Lowther, is a member of Highland Springs Country Club.
They were on hand as Nicholas had to earn a par to make the cut – a challenging situation considering play was halted late Friday on account of darkness. Nicholas’ tee shot found the fringe on the left side near the cart path, but he ultimately delivered a strong approach before sinking about a 20-foot putt.
“You get a lot of kids who DM you and ask if they can be your caddy. Sometimes you’re hesitant because you don’t know what to expect,” Nicholas said. “Right from the first tee at Millwood (Golf & Racquet Club), we were on 10, he was spot on. He wasn’t overbearing and wasn’t trying to ask me too many questions. He was as professional as my professional caddies are.
“And he knows way more about golf than I did (at that age),” Nicholas said. “His maturity level with the game of golf is extremely, extremely high. I asked him a couple of times, ‘Should I punch out or should I go for the miracle shot?’ He’s always like, ‘Punch out. Take your medicine. Let’s get up and down.’ At that age, I was always sending it through the trees and making doubles and triples.”
Play resumes this morning, with the leaders expected to begin on the No. 1 tee box at about 11 AM. The tournament typically ends at about 4 PM, with awards ceremonies shortly thereafter on the No. 18 green.