Former Taranaki man named Japan's 'Caddie of the Year'

Former Taranaki man Scott Bint was last week named ?Caddie of the Year' by the Japanese Golf Tour Organisation.

Bint, 40, has been on the professional circuit in Japan for the past eight years and is bagman for Australian pro Brendan Jones and, when available, also for Korean Kyoung Hoon Lee.

Between the two golfers, Bint has three majors on the Japan Tour plus a bunch of top-10 finishes, which was enough to secure the prestigious annual award.

Bint grew up in Lepperton, attending the local primary school before completing his secondary schooling at Waitara High School.

From there he headed to New Plymouth Polytechnic where he gained a diploma in sport and recreation before heading to Hamilton and Waikato University and graduating with a degree in social sciences and sport.

"When he was living in Taranaki, Scott played golf at the Inglewood Golf Club and was a member of the Taranaki junior rep team, playing off a scratch handicap," his mother Sherrin, of Hamilton, said.

"He put playing golf to one side when he got involved in the university scene and when he finished there he did his caddies' apprenticeship and worked for a year in Australia for [New Zealand professional] David Smail."

At the weekend, Bint was carrying Jones' bag in the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan, one of the last major tournaments on the tour before the circuit winds up for the year.

Jones was yesterday sharing second position behind tournament leader Luke Donald heading into the final round.

Jones needed a win in the event to propel him into second position on the Japan Tour money list and within striking distance of the leader Hiroyuki Fujita.

"They [Jones and Bint] are coming down to play the Australian Open in Sydney and then he is coming back home for a couple of months," Sherrin said.

Bint's 94-year-old grandmother, Alice Cleaver, lives in Inglewood.

"She is his biggest fan and Scott will be down there to see her when he gets home," Sherrin said.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/golf/7966987/Former-Taranaki-man-named-Japans-Caddie-of-the-Year

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