Ribs keep Jackson from caddying for Crenshaw

Ben Crenshaw will have to wrap up his Masters Tournament career without the man who has been by his side for so long at Augusta National Golf Club.

Carl Jackson, who started caddying for Crenshaw in 1976, wasn’t on his bag in Thursday’s first round and won’t be Friday because of tender ribs he has re-injured twice since they were broken.

“I’ve got to rule it out; I don’t think it’s going to get any better that soon,” Jackson, 67, said soon after Crenshaw started his round. “I can’t afford it. I’ve got to get well. I would have liked to have finished it.”

Crenshaw, who announced last year that this will be his 44th and final Masters, shot a career-high 91 on Thursday and will miss the cut after Friday’s second round.. Crenshaw, 63, won the Masters in 1984 and 1995.

Jackson had caddied in 53 Masters, starting in 1961 when he was 14. Before Thursday, he had missed one Masters since – in 2000 when he was recovering from colon cancer surgery.

Masters and Augusta National Chair­man Billy Payne said Wednes­day that something was planned to celebrate the end of Cren­­shaw’s career after his final round but that he “didn’t want to give away any more secrets.” Jack­son said he plans to be at the celebration.

Two ribs on Jackson’s right side were broken to take out part of his lung 10 months ago for lung cancer surgery.

“I tried to do things too soon like carrying your groceries, and things like that re-injured it,” he said. “I do things for myself. I felt better and didn’t have pain, then I re-injured it.”

After chemotherapy, Jackson has been cancer-free since November.

Younger half-brother Justin “Bud” Jackson, a longtime Au­gus­ta National caddie, caddied for Crenshaw during the practice rounds this week, but Carl Jackson caddied in the Par-3 Contest on Wednes­day and hoped to do so in the first round. He called Crenshaw’s agent, Scotty Sayers, on Wednesday night and said he was ready to caddie in the first round.

“I didn’t really rest well last night; at 3 a.m. it was on my mind,” Jackson said of pulling out.

He called Sayers at 7 a.m. to say he couldn’t make it.

“We’ve been talking about it for a few weeks,” Crenshaw said of the possibility that Jackson would sit it out. “He’s been through quite a lot with his health. We don’t want to push it. That’s the last thing I want to do is push my friend. It was his decision. I wouldn’t try to talk him out of anything.”

Bud Jackson had been aware that it could happen and was prepared to step in.

“I kind of feel sad for him,” said Bud Jackson, 58. “That’s why I stepped up for him – my brother. Keep it in the family. It made me feel good. I hope it made him feel good.”

Carl Jackson watched Cren­shaw warm up and tee off, then returned to the caddiehouse and left the course soon afterward.

“I really wanted to go today,” Jackson said.

If he’d caddied, Jackson was afraid he might hurt Crenshaw’s game because Crenshaw would be worried about him. Plus, he didn’t think he would be able to finish the round.

“I didn’t want that scene. I didn’t want them to bring a cart out there to get me,” he said.

Asked whether he would consider carrying Crenshaw’s bag up the 18th hole Friday, Jackson said he wouldn’t do that. But, if it was approved by Augusta National, he would walk up the final fairway with Crenshaw one last time.