Bryson DeChambeau’s ex-caddie has an interesting new employer

Tiger Woods put them collectively first: Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, a big-bombing dynamic duo despatched out in Thursday’s four-ball matches at Royal Melbourne to kick off the 2019 Presidents Cup. Their sweaters have been vivid pink and their bagmen’s bibs have been, too. There was Finau’s caddie Greg Bodine, who’d been by Finau’s aspect since his rookie 12 months on the PGA Tour. And there was DeChambeau’s caddie Tim Tucker, his partner-in-crime for eight previous and future PGA Tour wins, together with the next 12 months’s U.S. Open.

Every little thing within the golf world has modified since then. However this sport works in mysterious methods, and as of this summer time DeChambeau and Finau nonetheless make use of Tucker and Bodine — they’ve simply flipped employers. And their story is a part of an interesting cloth of blending and matching occurring with big-time gamers and caddies throughout the game.

Finau and Bodine break up in the summertime of 2020, whereas DeChambeau and Tucker broke up in the summertime of 2021. Every break was emotional in its personal means; partnerships with this a lot historical past are typically. So how’d they swap employers? In 2023, within the midst of essentially the most turbulent stretch of his professional profession, DeChambeau employed Bodine. And final week, trying to find a lacking piece, Finau employed Tucker, finishing the caddie swap, six years later.

No, this wasn’t a one-for-one commerce, as occurs in different sports activities. Nevertheless it was the most recent fascinating activate a caddie carousel that appears to be spinning notably shortly this 12 months, with high-profile gamers and loopers alike making real-time modifications all season.

For those who’ll rewind to March you’ll arrive on the 12 months’s first shocking break up, which got here from Matt Fitzpatrick and Billy Foster, who’d teamed up to win the 2022 U.S. Open, the 2023 Ryder Cup and lots extra. They parted methods following the Gamers Championship.

Then there was Joe Greiner and Max Homa, who went their separate methods forward of the Masters. Homa tried out Invoice Harke within the weeks that adopted, carried his personal bag for a pair rounds after which settled in with Lance Bennett, whose former employers had included Tiger Woods.

The following was Collin Morikawa and J.J. Jakovac, who’d been collectively for 2 majors and the whole thing of his PGA Tour tenure. Following their break up, Morikawa employed Greiner, a logical-if-potentially-awkward transfer given Morikawa and Homa’s shut relationship. Jakovac discovered a brand new employer in Michael Thorbjornsen, who’d been working with Bennett earlier than he’d left to work for Homa, finishing a complicated three-team commerce (Greiner to Morikawa, Jakovac to Thorbjornsen, Bennett to Homa) till Greiner and Morikawa broke up a number of weeks later.

Golf’s biggest collective heartache got here from the breakup of fan favorites and Netflix darlings Joel Dahmen and Geno Bonnalie. The 2 finest associates had been inseparable since earlier than Dahmen’s arrival on Tour; they referred to as it quits in July following a attempting stretch of seven missed cuts in eight weeks.

And a very telling break up got here following the Open Championship, when Joaquin Niemann broke up along with his caddie (and coach) following his second consecutive main missed reduce. Niemann has been good on LIV, profitable 5 instances this season (4 instances pre-split, as soon as extra along with his new caddie) however clearly needs extra.

There are a whole lot of different player-caddie modifications which have occurred within the meantime, after all — some everlasting, some non permanent, some onerous to outline. Greiner subbed in for Justin Thomas for a pair weeks in April, a well-timed transfer that contributed to a Signature Occasion win in Hilton Head. Morikawa tried out Foster for his hyperlinks golf swing, although they missed the reduce at each the Scottish Open and Open Championship. For a part of final week and this upcoming BMW Championship, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shall be with out Ted Scott, who’s dwelling tending to a household matter.

However again to our authentic protagonists: In July Tucker break up with longtime employer Kurt Kitayama. Only a couple weeks later Finau break up with longtime caddie Mark Urbanek. Kitayama discovered rapid success along with his brother serving as fill-in alternative, whereas Tucker even crammed in for Bodine on DeCheambeau’s bag at LIV’s occasion within the U.Ok. Finau, in the meantime, continued looking earlier than hiring Tucker forward of the FedEx St. Jude Championship. It’s unclear the phrases of their settlement, nor when Finau will subsequent tee it up, given he missed the ultimate two rounds of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Morikawa, in the meantime, has employed Urbanek; he’s now gone by way of the ex-loopers of Homa, Fitzpatrick and Finau as a part of a five-caddie season.

His and theirs are the most recent saga in one of many extra intriguing professions in sports activities, the place the great instances are nice and the unsure instances are sometimes and hard. Caddies are vital — this a lot we all know. Nevertheless it’s powerful to know precisely what makes a great one, it’s powerful to know if you’ve acquired the appropriate one and it’s powerful to know when it’s time to maneuver on. Nevertheless it occurs on a regular basis — typically along with your ex-caddie’s ex-employer.

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