Bruce Edwards — professional golfer Tom Watson’s long-time caddie who redefined the job of being a professional caddie — died today after a year long battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. That disease is better known as Lou Gehrig‘s Disease, after the former New York Yankee slugger who died of the same illness. Mr. Edwards was 49 at the time of his death.
Last night at the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Ga., Mr. Edwards was awarded the Ben Hogan Award, given annually by the Golf Writers Association of America to an individual who continued to be active in golf despite a physical handicap or serious illness. Mr. Edwards is also the subject of author John Feinstein’s new book, “Caddie for Life: The Bruce Edwards Story.”
Mr. Edwards’s struggle over the past year inspired Mr. Watson to have the best year a 53-year-old golfer ever had — he won two senior majors (British Open and the Tradition) along with $1.8 million in prize money and was named the player of the year on the Champions Tour. Watson also earned a $1 million tax-deferred annuity that he donated to A.L.S.-related charities, notably the Driving4Life, A.L.S. Therapy Development Foundation in Cambridge, Mass. The 4 represents Mr. Gehrig’s Yankees’ uniform number.