Keepers keeps hand in game, caddying for Nicole Jeray

Jody Keepers wanted to be a pro golfer. Instead, he became a caddie.
By PETE MOLLICA
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
VIENNA -- Jody Keepers has been caddying for 20 years, but the last year and a half has probably been the most enjoyable for him.
The former high school and college standout is carrying the bag this week for LPGA pro Nicole Jeray at the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic at Squaw Creek Country Club.
Jeray is playing in her seventh Giant Eagle Classic, but the Berwyn, Ill., native and former Northern Illinois University standout has only survived the cut once in her six previous appearances.
Keepers and Jeray are also dating now.
Staying involved
The 34-year-old Keepers came out of Augusta State College in Augusta, Ga., his hometown, and thought about going on the PGA Tour.
Once he realized his game just wasn't quite good enough to make it as a pro, he decided the next best thing would be as a caddie.
For 10 years he jumped around to different country clubs in the Augusta area and then hooked up with the LPGA.
Keepers didn't stay with the LPGA long, maybe not even a full year, and then joined the Nike Tour and now the Nationwide tour.
After spending four or five years there he made the jump to the PGA Tour where he carried the bag of Sam Randolph for over a year, until Randolph lost his card. Keepers returned to the Nationwide Tour.
During a week off, Keepers went home to Augusta and picked up a paper to find that the LPGA Tour was playing there the next week.
He went to the course to see if he could get a bag for the week and by Tuesday there was only one pro without a caddie -- Nicole Jeray.
Jeray, who didn't know Keepers, agreed to let him caddie for her for one day.
"We played about six holes in a practice round and she turned to me and said 'You're hired,' " Keepers said.
Being a caddie and boyfriend can be difficult at times, but Keepers said it's been pretty good.
"Sometimes it has its moments, but we've been able to separate business and pleasure," he said.
Lending a hand
A lot of golfers like their caddie to carry the bag and provide distances and they do everything else, but Keepers said Jeray lets him do it all for her, selecting the clubs and lining up her putts.
"On the men's tour just about every player wants to do everything themselves. All they want you to do is give them the yardage and carry the bag, but Nicole has complete confidence in me out here," Keepers said.
Since Keepers has been with Jeray for just over a year, they visit a lot of courses that Keepers has never seen before.
"Squaw Creek is a course that I've never seen before, so when we played in the Monday Pro-Am, she was me and I was her out there as we went around the course," he said.
Keepers said the yardage books are the caddies' bible.
"Almost all of the yardage books on the tours are put out by George Lucas, who is a good friend of Nicole's and even caddied for her when she was in college," he said.
The books are very accurate, but Keepers still likes to walk the course and make some additions that will help Jeray's game.
He always uses a compass on the tee areas to help determine the wind direction.
"A lot of pros will walk off the yardage with their caddie and then get together to see if they agree, but Nicole doesn't; she relies solely on me," he said.
Measurement
Keepers said Squaw Creek Country Club is marked very good for yardage.
"Some courses don't have the sprinkler heads marked. Then you really have to do some walking," he said.
Keepers likes to pick out certain targets on a course that he can tell Jeray to aim for.
"The toughest part is keeping a level head out there," he said. "I can't let myself get too excited when she's playing good and I can't get too down when she's not playing well."
Just how have things been working out for the pair?
"Well, it's been almost a year and a half and I still have a job and we're still dating," Keepers said.
mollica@vindy.com