HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Should you like your golf stories wrapped in layers of friendship and a son’s unrelenting respect for his father, meet Will Dennis.

One could say that his introduction to the PGA Tour has gone well, thus far, as the caddie for rookie Sam Stevens. There have been three solid finishes in just six starts – a T-15 in Puerto Rico, T-3 at the Corales Puntacana, and a runner-up at the Valero Texas Open, which was worth $970,100, thank you very much.

But Dennis will remind you, with a smile, that he had prior PGA Tour experience years ago. “I went to PGA Tour daycare. I feel very comfortable out here,” said the oldest of three sons born to former PGA Tour player Clark Dennis and his wife, Vickie.

“Out here” is being on the bag for Stevens, whom he has known since second grade in Ft. Worth, Texas. When the call from Stevens came back in February, Will Dennis was working in the world of financial services and “loving it,” he said.

“(But) it was really a cool opportunity (to loop for Sam),” said Will. “It was a decision I made after counsel with my dad.”

Clark Dennis certainly knew that his oldest son had what it takes to be a good caddie. After his PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour days had ended, Clark Dennis in 2016 discovered how closed a shop the PGA Tour Champions is and so he went to play on the European Tour’s over-50 circuit, with Will on his bag.

It was a blessing for the family, said Will, whose first caddie gig with his dad came as a 13-year-old in the 2009 Texas State Open, the year Clark Dennis closed with a 59. He wasn’t in contention “so I think he rolled five practice putts and hit eight balls,” laughed Will. “It was really cool.”

But in Europe, the joy was to be with his father and mother and younger brothers, Thomas and Philip, “was such a rewarding experience,” said Will. “We have the greatest parents.”

It wasn’t just that Clark Dennis played nicely – he was Order of Merit winner in 2017 and he’s won five times in his European career – “it was the chance to see different parts of the world” and to be together to celebrate all they had been blessed with.

Which is as good a time as any to offer a flashback to Clark Dennis and where this family gets its strength.

Between 1990-99 he was fully exempt on the PGA Tour for six seasons. He played in 211 tournaments and his best finish was third, on two occasions. Let the record show, however, that Clark Dennis was in contention at the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont, eventually finishing T-6.

But on Feb. 4, 2000, the day after delivering Philip, the youngest son, Vickie Dennis suffered a grand mal seizure and slipped into a coma. The heartbreaking story was chronicled by Michael Bamberger in 2001 for Sports Illustrated and he wrote how Vickie’s blood pressure had gone to 244 over 122 and that six doctors were stymied.

Vickie came out of that coma but lapsed into another one a few days later and Clark Dennis did not leave his wife’s side for days. “After five days,” wrote Bamberger, “with the same mystery with which the illness arrived, it departed . . . The illness and the recovery remain largely unexplained. (But) Clark and Vickie have been living with changed lives and changed attitudes ever since.”

Again, that was written in 2001, but it remains true 22 years later. Clark Dennis never did regain his PGA Tour card after spending most of 2000 taking care of his wife and three sons, but it was more important that he had his wife and family intact. Changed lives, changed attitudes.

“Things were rough for our family for a while. It was a struggle,” said Will. But the young man, like his parents, is a Christian with strong faith.

“I really think those rough times helped us stick together as a family. But we had each other and we had our faith,” he said. “It made us who we are as brothers and sons and young men.”

As they saw Switzerland and the U.K., Austria and Spain, the family took delight in the resurgence of Clark Dennis’ game. His success in Europe since 2017 has earned him chances to play in all the senior majors and just last September with Will on the bag, Clark Dennis Monday qualified for the Ascension Charity Classic in St. Louis and went on to finish T-5.

“He’s still got plenty of game,” said Will.

And Will, it appears, still has plenty of love for the game, rekindled as it has been by the chance to reunite with Stevens. Theirs is a friendship that has endured no matter whatever life has tossed at them. Best friends as second-graders, they drifted apart when Stevens moved with his family to Wichita, Kan. But after their collegiate careers – Stevens at Oklahoma State, Will Dennis at the University of Texas Arlington – they were members at Mira Vista CC in Fort Worth.

“It was like nothing had changed,” laughed Will. “We played golf together, worked out together, and dreamed of playing pro golf.”

Truthfully, it was more of a dream for Will and less of one for Stevens.

“In our close circle of friends (which includes Riley Shryoc), we knew Sam had the ‘it’ factor. He was a strong player, from a great family, he was grounded. When Sam was 7 or 8 we used to joke that he was going to play the PGA Tour.”

Stevens’ progress has been notable. There were two seasons on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica where he had a win, a second, and a couple of other top 10s, then in 2022 the former OSU Cowboy made the cut in 18 of 23 tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour and was 45th on the priority list coming out of the KFT finals.

That Stevens reached out to his longtime friend means the world to Will Dennis. That his parents fully support his career choice is equally important.

“I’m blessed to have great parents,” said Will. “Now this, with Sam. I want to help Sam be the best he can be.”

They both learned quickly how exhilarating this PGA Tour business can be when in Sam Stevens’ 15th tournament of his rookie campaign, some magic unfolded. Driving the 290-yard, par-4 17th and making an 8-footer for eagle, Stevens got within one of the leader, Corey Conners. A win would have put Stevens into the Masters, but it wasn’t to be. Stevens failed to birdie the par-5 18th and Conners finished with three pars to win.

“We were having a lot of fun, laughing like good teammates,” said Will Dennis. “It was a little gut-wrenching to miss the birdie chance at 18, but it was so much fun to witness.”

Onward they go, co-workers and best friends. Last week, Hilton Head Island, this week New Orleans.

“He was meant to do this (play the PGA Tour) for a living,” said Will.

Which, if true, might make you wonder if Will was meant to be where he is, too, by his friend’s side, with his parents’ blessings.