Tony Finau turned pro back in 2007, but his first season on the PGA Tour came during 2014-15. At that time, the 29-year-old from Salt Lake City, Utah was also seeking a caddie. The stars aligned, and he found the right person to work with him on the course and go through the grind of the PGA Tour season.
That would be Greg Bodine, who has quite the golf history. This includes both his own playing and coaching, along with some family members who have plenty of experience in the world of professional golf.
We’re going to take a look at a few key things to know about Finau’s longtime caddie in Bodine.
Greg Bodine Is the Cousin of Pro Golfers Andrew and Michael Putnam
👀 let’s go @AndrewPutnam1
Bodine’s family history on the golf course features two cousins in Andrew and Michael Putnam, both of which are pro players. While he took a different approach to the game after college, both of his cousins have had success at various levels, with Andrew wrapping up the 2018 PGA Tour season ranked No. 33 in the FedExCup. He posted five top-10 finishes during that season, the best of his career.
Michael is currently on the Web.com Tour and has posted three victories to this point in his career. Two of the three came during a strong 2013 campaign in which he tallied nine top-10 finishes and finished No. 2 in the top 25.
Bodine Reached out About Being Finau’s Caddie Through Twitter
GettyTony Finau and caddie Greg Bodine
The relationship Bodine has with Andrew and Michael led to him meeting Finau originally, as Sam Tremlett of Golf-Monthly detailed. The two had crossed paths at various times over the years, and Bodine heard that Finau was seeking a caddie for his rookie season on the PGA Tour, so he did what anyone seeking a job would do.
Bodine reached out to Finau with a Twitter message.
Obviously, the two knew each other so it wasn’t all that surprising, but as Tremlett reveals, Bodine says he reached out because they were “similar ages and had similar interests.” Finau had high praise for Bodine recently, per Golf-Monthly.
“In golf the only person who can help me inside the ropes is my caddy,” Tony says. “I knew with my experience playing professional golf I wanted a caddy like Greg.”
He Played and Coached Golf at Biola University
While Bodine has been a caddie for years now, he did both play and coach at various points prior to that. His collegiate golf career was with the Biola University Eagles, where he went to school from 2007-12. The school first became a varsity program during 2008 and Bodine helped it grow over the years.
After his playing career wrapped up, the Biola official website reveals that Bodine also held the title of Assistant Men’s Golf Coach previously. Considering he had a career as a coach, it’s not all that surprising that Finau has faith and trust in his caddie.
Bodine Is a Seattle Sports Fan
Thanks to the Soft One for the tickets 😜 @Softykjr #TrueToTheBlue
As seen above, Bodine has taken in his fair share of Seattle Mariners games. He also detailed on Twitter previously how met Dave “Softy” Mahler, who hosts the Dave Softy Mahler Show on 950 KJR. It appears the two know each other fairly well, as he not only helped Bodine get Mariners tickets but also passes to Seattle Seahawks training camp a few years back.
Really cool experience getting out to Seahawks training camp today. Thanks for the passes @Softykjr 😎
Finau Credits Their Faith for Things Working Out
Finau won his first PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open in March 2016, and it came with Bodine by his side after returning from a broken leg, as Lindsey Williams of Utah Valley 360 details. As Finau went on to point out, both he and Bodine are Christians and had faith that the pairing would work out moving forward.
“We’re both Christian, so we both had faith in God that things would work out,” Tony says. “A couple weeks after he came back having not been on the bag for a couple of months, we were able to win, so that was a testament to the faith we both have.”
This connection has surely helped make their bond even stronger, and likely plays a role in their rapport on the course.
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Tony Finau’s Caddie, Greg Bodine: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know