After three grueling rounds of the 2026 PGA Championship, Matti Schmid had battled to four under par and a place in the final group on Sunday, just two behind leader Alex Smalley.
That was something of a surprise because Schmid’s previous best performance at a Major came at the 2021 Open when he placed T59 to take low amateur honors.
Nevertheless, just 18 holes stood between him and a Major title with one round to play, as he rubbed shoulders with the likes of Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm and Ludvig Aberg.
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That was an achievement in itself because many other bigger names didn’t do nearly as well, with the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Tommy Fleetwood missing the cut as they struggled with the thick rough, undulating greens and tough pin positions of Aronimink.
Helping Schmid navigate a layout that would not have looked out of place at a US Open was caddie Chris Selfridge.
He is a Northern Irishman who turned to caddying when persistent wrist injuries curtailed his professional career.
Selfridge’s playing career was spent largely on the Challenge Tour (now the HotelPlanner Tour), but that came to an end in 2018.
Eventually, he was given the opportunity to return to the game as a caddie on the DP World Tour for his friend Michael Hoey.
Selfridge had a spell caddying for Tom McKibbin
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After learning the ropes alongside Hoey, over the next 18 months, Selfridge caddied for Ryan Fox, including at the Tokyo Olympics, before he began working with Tom McKibbin in 2022.
That proved successful, with Selfridge helping McKibbin earn his DP World Tour card before they parted ways in 2023.
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Later that year, Selfridge began caddying for Schmid, and the pair haven’t looked back.
Ahead of the PGA Championship, Schmid was still looking for his first professional win, but there were indications that, with Selfridge alongside him, it would soon come along.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
For example, in the months leading up to the Major, Selfridge helped Schmid place T9 at the Cognizant Classic, while he became established in the world’s top 100 with his caddie’s help.
All of that would be eclipsed by victory at the PGA Championship, but with one round to play, it suggested that, whatever happened in the final round, the partnership was going from strength to strength.
