Storm forced into a change of bag man after caddie quits

10:45am Wednesday 17th March 2010

By Paul Fraser

GRAEME STORM’S return to action after an enforced five-week lay-off has been rocked by his caddie’s decision to walk out just days before the event.

Darren Reynolds, who has been on the the Hartlepool golfer’s bag since just before last year’s Open Championship, has opted to take on a new challenge with a promising European Tour rookie instead.

Storm is in Morocco ahead of the Trophee Hassan II and is looking forward to working alongside his new bag man, Dave Renwick.

Renwick has caddied for Jose Maria Olazabal and Lee Westwood, while he was also Vijay Singh’s right hand man throughout the Fijian’s run as world number one in 2004 and when he won the US Masters in 2000.

But while Storm is happy to be working with the Scot, he is hurt by the way Reynolds departed.

“I got a phone call last Thursday and I was totally shocked,” said Storm. “I gave Darren a two-week trial last June, it went well and I thought things were going well.

But I am just a little disappointed about the way he has gone about things. I was not expecting it.

With the shoulder injury which has kept me out for the last five weeks, I could have done with having continuity, stability when I returned to action.”

Storm is likely to cross paths with Reynolds in Morocco this week, where the caddie will be on the bag Sam Hutsby.

And Storm said: “Sam is a really talented player with a lot of potential, but he has just come through Tour school and it’s strange how Darren has gone from a Category 8 player, which I am, to Sam.

“Sam has played Walker Cup golf and finished second at qualifying school, so he arrives with a growing reputation, but I just think it was a bit off and strange that Darren left me in the lurch like he did.”

After linking up with Renwick, albeit temporarily initially, Storm is now seeking a positive comeback.

“It’s been a while since I played because of my shoulder,” said the 32-yearold, who has not played since the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in early February and is now attatched to Rockliffe Hall near Darlington after severing his ties with the Wynyard Club.