Tom Watson's caddie, Bruce Edwards, dies at 49 of Lou Gehrig's Disease

[UrbScotty]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040408/ap_on_sp_go_ne/glf_obit_edwards


PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Bruce Edwards, the caddie whose struggle with Lou Gehrig's disease inspired longtime boss Tom Watson at last year's U.S. Open, died Thursday. He was 49.

Edwards, Watson's caddie for 30 years, died at his home after a yearlong struggle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

[Old and In the Way]

1. My mom had ALS.

It is the most horrible way to die, IMHO. Your mind stays sharp, while you loose every muscle control a little bit every day.

[UrbScotty]

5. Actually, I'd say having Alzheimer's is worse.

But just my opinion.

[hippywife]

7. There is no way to qualify which is worse.

I work with the elderly and see it happen both ways and I can't even say which is worse. Altho watching the mind go while the body continues functioning can be much harder on the family, the opposite can be harder on the patient. Either way, it's very, very heartbreaking.

[Old and In the Way]

8. If I hate my druthers, I'd rather lose my mind, than know that I'm living

in a constantly degrading physical body that eventually makes you absolutely motionless; unable to communicate, but totally aware of your surroundings and impending death.

But that's just me.

[DenverDem]

2. Too bad, Bruce was a truly nice guy.

His former boss can be a pill, though.

Nasty stuff, that ALS. Maybe if we weren't redistributing so much of the national wealth to the military industrial cronies of the Power Elite we could have funded research to cure it. Too late for Bruce, now.

RIP,pards.

[mouse7]

3. Geez... he went really quick

He caddied for Watson last year in some tournaments. He was obviosly affected at that point, and had announced his diagnosis. He was able to carry Watson's clubs without noticable difficulty for 18 holes for the whole tournament. His walking seemed okay.

Wow.

[Amerpie]

4. This morning on NPR

There was a nice story about Bruce with Bob Edwards and John Feinstein. ALS is a tough illness. My wife's best friend died this winter at age 42 from the disease, leaving a nine year old son.

[osaMABUSh]

6. Ironic he goes on 1st day of Master - Tom + Bruce = Class

Sure, there's a golf tourney just about every weekend but there's only one rite of Spring: The Masters. So it is ironic that he died today while Tom Watson's in Augusta. Tom and Bruce both class acts.

Nice read on Tom and Bruce here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/masters04/columns/story?columnist=maisel_ivan&id=1778608

Should see some nice testimonies about Bruce this weekend on CBS's coverage.

[Norbert]

9. ALS is a horrible illness

Tom Watson shot a 76 yesterday. His mind understandably was not in the game.

There were proabbly not very many dry eyes among the press coverage and Watson and his friends. Sad news.