By Casey O'Connor
Luke Reardon has what many would consider a dream job these days sharing the caddying duties for former World No 1 golfer and good mate Jason Day travelling to World Class championships played on extraordinary golf courses in amazing locations.
Reardon and Jason Day first crossed paths down Kooralbyn way as juniors honing their golf craft and hoping to go on to bigger and better things. They have been mates ever since.
Reardon answered the call to join Day and share the caddying duties last year and is now based in Ohio.
While he still calls Stanthorpe home and enjoys getting back here he says he still has to sometimes pinch himself as he travels with Day to major tournaments and has recently bought a house in Ohio not far from his Day , his wife and children.
Home for the Christmas break and enjoying time with family and friends, I caught up with Luke at the Stanthorpe Golf Club on Saturday where he has played many a round of golf and was sponsoring the days play.
As well as sponsor Reardon had also delivered a golf bag autographed by Jason Day which he used on this year’s PGA Tour and had donated to the club to raffle as a fund raiser.
Keen to catch up with Luke for a chat after his official duties were complete I grabbed a couple of tickets in the raffle to support a good cause and waited patiently as the final tickets were sold. I was hoping the winner would be on hand for a photo.
No one was more shocked than I was when Luke drew out the winning ticket – my ticket.
Just goes to show you have to be in it to win it.
An autographed Jason Day golf bag now has pride of place in my lounge room (who needs a Christmas tree anyway) while I come to terms with my unexpected good fortune and wrestle with how I can best display my latest piece of sporting memorabilia. -.
While it is a little large to mount and put on the wall alongside the infamous “Gabba” stump, it will probably look out of place alongside the Bradman collection but it is a wonderful problem to have to deal with over Christmas.
Thanks to Jason Day for his kind gesture to the club in donating the bag. The raffle incidentally raised $1200 for the club.
If that is my Santa present – thank you Santa and apologies to the myriad of disappointed golfers.
I suspect Luke, who will travel back to Hawaii straight after Christmas to meet up with Day is still chuckling to himself.
I will look forward to seeing Luke carrying a bag just like the one I now call mine, throughout the coming year.
