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A Dream Come True For Cavender

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By MATTHEW PARKE Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

TRINITY - Kenny Cavender is The Tampa Tribune's Pasco County Boys Golf Athlete of the Year and you also can call him the next Steve Williams.

It could be some time before the Mitchell junior surveys Amen Corner at Augusta with the next Tiger Woods, but the 17-year-old got an early start to his PGA Tour caddying career at the 2008 PODS Championship in Palm Harbor. It was a dream come true for Cavender.

"I couldn't believe it at first. It was just awesome. It was something I just usually dream of doing," Cavender said. "I was the youngest person out there and kind of shy of everybody there. But seeing everybody in the caddy shack: event winner Sean O'Hair, Stewart Cink, David Duval, it took a while to sink in."

The big break came when four-year pro Ted Purdy needed a caddy for the first round of the event qualifier at Fox Hollow, Cavender's home course. The opportunity, even if just for a round, was too good to pass up.

According to Mitchell coach Rick Hyatt, Purdy was so impressed by the young golfer's knowledge and guidance that he invited him along for the tournament.

"It was a stroke of genius on his part, because Kenny knows Fox Hollow probably as well as anybody. I think Purdy was impressed with him too during the tournament because of his input reading putts and his advice on shots. Pretty impressive for a 17-year-old to show that kind of maturity," Hyatt said.

Purdy finished 129th at the event at Innisbrook, ahead of the likes of Ernie Els, Chris DiMarco and Retief Goosen. Although Purdy did not make the final cut, the three days of tour-level competition and spectacle was a transforming experience for Cavender.

"The week after that, I was working on it a lot. Being really positive, eating well and starting to work out," Cavender said.

The lessons that Cavender learned from watching a tour professional prepare for an event will be a focus of his offseason practice. He does not want to settle for less than a state title next season.

"I want to win everything, that is my expectation," Cavender said.

To this end, sharpening up his nutrition and hitting the gym will be part of a complete athletic makeover this summer.

"The demand for physical fitness in golf has risen so much. All the players are doing it now," Cavender said, "I just try to copy what Purdy's doing. Seeing what he does, it really helps. It helps you mentally too knowing that you are staying healthy and physically fit."
Cavender shot 76 in his third year for Mitchell and led his team to a co-championship in the Sunshine Athletic Conference regular season. He finished third in districts and qualified for regionals, but came short of the state tournament. Cavender said that uniting his physicality with a balanced temper will be essential to a better result next season.

"Strength and mental toughness is all I am really working on," he said.

In between all of his training and practice this summer, Cavender might be pulling flags and raking sand traps at another PGA-level tournament. If Purdy qualifies for next month's Buick Open, Cavender will return as his caddy.
BOYS GOLF FIRST TEAM

Kiel Jackson, River Ridge

Kenny Cavender, Mitchell

Wes Parrish, Land O'Lakes

Ricky Briggs, Zephyrhills

Hugh Lindstrom, Saddlebrook Prep

Coach of the Year: Mike Marlin, River Ridge

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