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Thursday, May 23, 2019

“Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk,” Narrated By Bill Murray, Debuts in U.S. Movie Theaters June 7

(CLEVELAND, OH) – “Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk” (www.loopersmovie.com, @loopersthemovie), the most thorough feature-length film documentary ever developed on golf’s historic caddie profession, will make its nationwide theatrical debut on June 7, with more than 75 locations across the United States.

The film, narrated by actor and former caddie Billy Murray, has drawn critical acclaim in early 2019 with positive reviews and best documentary awards from the Cleveland International Film Festival in early April and the Newport Beach (CA) Film Festival in early May. The film continues on the film festival circuit through the first week of June, with the Greenwich, CT, International Film Festival on June 2.

The “Loopers” U.S. theatrical release begins on Friday, June 7 – the week before the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach – and includes theaters in 25 states. A listing of locations, to be continually updated in the coming weeks, is included at https://www.loopersmovie.com/see-the-movie.

Reviews of the film have touted the film’s accuracy and interest beyond just golf:

“… wishing ‘Loopers’ could be a series with each vignette an episode. Better yet, with striking panoramics of St. Andrews, Pebble Beach, Bandon, Carnoustie and other world-renowned courses, “Loopers” is reminiscent of the BBC’s “Planet Earth” series, educating while aesthetically captivating.” – Golf Digest (March 2019)
“This weaves history with personality in telling a handful of specifically amazing golfer-caddie pairings, and is great even for those who hate golf.” – Santa Barbara Independent (January 30, 2019).
“I’ve only played a handful of rounds of golf in my life, and I don’t particularly care about the sport. Still, I found ‘Loopers: The Caddie’s Long Walk’ compelling. Any time you get somebody talking about their life’s work you’re probably going to get some good stories.” – Filmthreat.com (February 15, 2019).
“Loopers charts the history of golf from its origins in Scotland to modern times. Traditionally, the caddie’s mantra was to ‘show up, keep up and shut up.’ They were banned from the clubhouse and treated poorly. However, they became an important part of the sport, acting as the player’s technical adviser, psychologist and confidant.” – Sunday Times, Ireland (February 2, 2019).

The film also includes interviews with World Golf Hall of Famers Sir Nick Faldo, Tom Watson, Ben Crenshaw, Lee Trevino, Curtis Strange and former Masters Tournament and U.S. Open champion Fuzzy Zoeller. Professional caddies who participated include Steve Williams (Tiger Woods’ former caddie), Carl Jackson (Crenshaw), Fanny Sunesson (Faldo), Pete Bender (Greg Norman and others), Michael Greller (Jordan Spieth) and Jariah “Jerry” Beard (Zoeller at the 1979 Masters). Longtime golf journalists Rick Reilly, Michael Collins and Ward Clayton are also interviewed.

The unknown stories are revealed, such as Greg Puga, who grew up in East Los Angeles, went on to caddie at Los Angeles’ Bel-Air Country Club and qualified as an amateur to play in the Masters Tournament. Another is the compelling legacy of caddie master Mike Kiely, who has been the caddie organizer at historic Canterbury Golf Club in Cleveland for a half-century and guided many caddies toward successful lives.

“Loopers” was filmed at some of the more iconic locations in golf such as the Augusta (GA) National Golf Club, Pebble Beach (CA) Golf Links, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, numerous other vaunted courses in Scotland and Ireland such as Carnoustie, Prestwick, Ballybunion and Lahinch and Bandon Dunes (OR).

“Loopers” is directed by Southern California filmmaker Jason Baffa, who has directed successful independent films on the global surfing sub-culture, including “Bella Vita,” “One California Day” and “Singlefin: Yellow.” Baffa’s first film on golf harkens back to his days growing up when he played golf with his father and uncle.

Also, private viewings for clubs or organizations can be made by going to www.loopersmovie.com/request-a-screening. An international debut in Europe is scheduled for mid-June.

Read our review of Loopers HERE.

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