The Caddie Who Won the Masters

by John Coyne

Displaying the storytelling skill that has made him a seven-time bestselling author, John Coyne delivers a suspenseful, haunting and tender novel about a middle-aged amateur’s seemingly impossible quest to win the prestigious Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, America’s pristine cathedral of golf. Golf legend, Masters founder and lifelong amateur Bobby Jones had long hoped that an amateur would one day win the invitational tournament he started in 1934. For Tim Alexander, 49, the surprise winner of the U.S. Mid-Amateur, just receiving an invitation to the Masters is a small miracle. Alexander is a college English professor from Southern Illinois who, at his wife Kerry’s urging, reawakened a dormant golf game that had earned him a scholarship to Wake Forest University and, more recently, a ticket to Augusta, Georgia. Not long after, with suitcase in hand and golf clubs on his shoulder, the aging muni-course player finds himself walking down famed Magnolia Lane toward every accomplished golfer’s dream—a coveted spot alongside the world’s best players in the Masters field. As Alexander learns shortly after his arrival on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National, there’s much more at stake than whether he can somehow make the 36-hole cut on the beautiful and challenging layout or how he’ll fare against players named McDowell, Mickelson and Woods. Pursued by a mysterious and tormented stranger, helped by a young unknown caddie, Alexander soon discovers that he isn’t just playing to make the cut or win the vaunted green jacket. He is playing to save the life of his wife. In perhaps the only novel to be set at Augusta National Golf Club, Coyne masterfully blends his deep knowledge of golf and Masters tradition with his affinity for the supernatural to spin a riveting tale. The third novel in Coyne’s popular “caddie” series, The Caddie Who Won The Masters will grip readers until the final putt rolls into the cup and the green jacket slips over the shoulders of the winner.

Genres: Fiction

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

John Coyne (born 1937) is an American writer. He is the author of more than twenty-five nonfiction and fiction books, including a number of horror novels, while his short stories have been collected in "best of" anthologies such as Modern Masters of Horror and The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. A former Peace Corps Volunteer and a life-long lover of golf, Coyne has edited and written a number of books dealing with both subjects, the most recent two novels areThe Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan and "The Caddie Who Played With Hickory".

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in a long time.

I'm a former golf pro at a PGA Tour venue, and I get tired of movies and books about golf that don't know what they're talking about. That's not this book. The details and story line are amazing. Every golf junkie in the world owes it to themselves to read this book! Amazing.

[‘Santa’ Bill H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Delightful Fantasy at Augusta

Coyne really makes you believe you’re at the Masters! His ability at describing Augusta’s stern test was marvelously melded with likable characters! I finished reading this too late in the day to go hit golfballs, but I surely wanted to do so! A one day ‘read’
that was great fun!

[Allen B. Snively · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Caddie Who Won the Masters, while fiction, was a great golf story. The description of the rounds and holes held my interest and the visit with Cliff Robert’s and past Masters winners/pros made an interesting story. Loved the book and any golfer should read. The Masters is my favorite tournament.

[Darrin Shope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an excellent reading experience. As a golf fanatic that eats and breaths golf I was transported to Augusta and felt as if I were walking the fairways with the fictional characters. The authors knowledge of the Masters Tournament and Augusta history truly added to this book.

[Michael Hiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to read

Definitely a better read if you're a golfer, but still a good story. I would recommend it to all my golf buddies.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Caddy Who

I liked all three caddy who books by John Coyne. I don't know anything about golf but he ties playing to story and history in a fascinating way.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having read Coyne's other golf novels I was eager to read this one. This one is different fro those other works. For one it is set in modern times giving it a different tone. Also the addition of long dead golfers who appear periodically to give advice to the protagonist can be a little corny. Then there are the plot twists that make little sense or the passages that contradict what happened in the previous passage. Did I mention the typos? Starting with page1 I counted at least four typos. All this indicates a thorough editing would improve this book. It is an interesting plot and his earlier works are much better so I'm not sure what happened with this one.

[Howard Brazee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book for golf lovers. The author has some other "The Caddy who..." books, which explains the title. Lots of former caddies have won the Masters. In this book, the ghost of Clifford Roberts needs an amateur to win the Masters to get past his purgatory. I don't care for that part, but it does give an excuse for various dead golfing greats to tell stories, as the protagonist plays in the Masters.

What I do like is the back story of this amateur college professor who played in youth as a way to fight his father, but stopped when his father died - and started again when beloved his wife got cancer - and got him to play again. Lots of nice character development.

[Meriby Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and Compelling in So Many Ways

It matters not if you are a golfer: this is a beautifully-written love song to challenges undertaken, memories bitter and sweet, restitution and revolution of the soul. Golf is simply the rolling green parchment on which the players discover weaknesses and strengths, resolve and restitution. Two Winter days of living in fragrant sunshine, reading this story!

[ken whitsitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book.

This is the best fictional book about golf that I have read. I liked how he entered the professionals into the story and the many statistics. I will look forward to reading his other books.
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[Donna Valentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute essential for anyone who loves the history of golf - obviously the history of the Masters. Wonderful story.

[Tim Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written with accurate golf and Masters history. Enjoyable.