Erik Van Rooyen's Caddie Set To Play Alongside Him At The 3M Open

Alex Gaugert gained a berth in this weekend's tournament after Monday's qualifiers

Alex Gaugert and Erik Van Rooyen
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Erik van Rooyen's caddie, Alex Gaugert, will play alongside the South African golfer at the 3M Open this weekend after he qualified for the event on Monday. 

The American was one of four players to book their place in the tournament, posting a six-under par 65 to finish T2 at the Victory Links Golf club in Blaine, Minneapolis.

Daniel Gale was the outright winner, sensationally holing out from 128 yards on the 18th to end his day at -11 and qualify for the 3M Open for the second successive year. 

Meanwhile, Kaito Onishi and Noah Hoffman were the other two players to gain a spot at the tournament, posting scores of 65. 

Van Rooyen and Gaugert, meanwhile, have been close friends for some time, having both been team-mates at the University of Minnesota. 

The American has caddied for the European Tour winner since 2019, with the pair having had success at the Scandinavian Open that year, while more recently helping Van Rooyen produce multiple top ten finishes this season. 

And after Monday's result was confirmed, the South African golfer congratulated his caddie on Twitter saying: "So my caddie @lil_gaugs just qualified for the 3M Open! What a STUD!!! Soooooooo anyone want to loop this week @PGATour?!"

Gaugert, 30, enjoyed a successful college career securing multiple top-ten finishes during his senior season. 

Upon leaving university, he'd spend some time playing on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa while making an appearance on the Australian PGA Championship. 

Back in 2019, Van Rooyen placed T2 at the Turkish Airlines Open and credited his caddie for helping him push to finish so high. 

"Feely really knows the game," The South African said. "He knows me. He knows how I tick. Walking down 13 he had a really important chat with me to calm me down. He did such a great job; monumental in fact.

Alex Gaugert and Erik Van Rooyen

Alex Gaugert (right) and Erik Van Rooyen (left) at the Players Championship in March 2023

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I ended up making birdies at five of the last six holes. I can honestly say if it wasn't for Feely that wouldn't have happened.”

Gaugert is also the PGA Professional at Tonto Verde Golf Club in Arizona and will debut on the PGA Tour this week in the penultimate regular season event before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. 

Several players will be looking for strong finishes at the 3M Open this week in order to qualify for the PGA Tour's season ending events.

Justin Thomas, who missed the cut at the Open, is one big name in the field, and will be looking to post a low score to book his place at the FedEx St. Jude Invitational. 

Ed Carruthers
Writer

Ed has been playing golf for as long as he can remember and is obsessive about the sport. He is regularly sought after by family members and friends for advice on what equipment to buy and uses his background, having written extensively on golf in the past, to produce equipment orientated content for Golf Monthly.  

Having obtained a Masters in Law with Medicine from the University of Liverpool, Ed has recently changed paths into journalism and just last year achieved his NCTJ Sports Journalism Diploma with the Press Association. 

He has written for a variety of media outlets over the years and has interviewed some big names in sport, including Premier League managers, All Blacks Coaches and Grand Slam tennis superstars. He has also worked on some huge sporting events, including the 2021 Australian Open and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. And when he's not writing for Golf Monthly, you'll find him producing news and feature articles for the MailOnline's sports desk, where he covers everything from football to rugby union. 

During his weekends off, you'll likely find Ed heading out for a round at one of his local golf clubs with his friends, and was, up until recently, a member at the Leatherhead Golf Club in Surrey. Ed also plays the saxophone, can tell you some pretty terrible dad jokes and can knock up a very tasty carbonara!