Veteran LPGA player Perrine Delacour is shining the spotlight on her caddie after having made it through a U.S. Women’s Open 36-hole qualifier for the first time. “I just listened to him,” the 29-year-old from France said. “He picked the course. I trusted him.”
That she was pointing to a gentleman by the name of Kevin Benstead might jog some memories up on Boston’s North Shore. A diehard basketball player, when Benstead shifted his passion to golf, he moved from St. John’s Prep in Danvers to attend Windermere Prep outside of Orlando, Fla.
While Benstead pursued professional golf – “I had some good play on the mini-tours and made it as far as the PGA Tour China Series,” he said – he eventually settled into other avenues with the game. He taught at some clubs in northern Florida and also caddied at Old Memorial in Tampa.
Through the caddie contacts, Benstead was introduced to Delacour and as a team they showed up at Duxbury Yacht Club in Duxbury, Mass., for a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier. “He knew our schedule and that this would be between tournaments in New Jersey, so he said we’ll do this one,” said Delacour.