https://www.sbnation.com/golf/2017/6...die-split-ways

End of an era

Didn't see this coming

So Bones ends up on Rahm's bag right?

Maybe he'll caddie for Adam Scott and then Adam can be known as the sloppy seconds player.

My thoughts exactly.

I doubt Bones plans on caddying a full schedule

I can't imagine he would ever switch tours but didn't Lydia Ko fire her caddie recently?

Think this happens every week

Ko would be like 140th on the PGA tour money list. I could not imagine someone like Bones carrying her bag even if he thinks she will be #1 women's player in the world for several years. Especially considering the meddling parents

Bones is obv. good at his job, but it is just amazing to me how much money these guys can make if they happen to hook up with the right player.

Spieth's caddie was teaching middle school, happened to caddy for Spieth at an amateur tournament, and now he's a multimillionaire. Patrick Reed won a bunch of tournaments with his wife carrying the bag. Stricker also. Has got to be the single most overpaid job on the planet.

Ko Made 2.493 million last year which would have ranked 36th on the PGA Tour.

No way he caddies on the LPGA Tour, dozens of PGA Tour players are currently begging for his services.


What about getting paid 8 figures per year to be a DH in MLB? Caddying is such hard work, if you haven't done it, it's tough to put into words both physically and mentally.

I'm not arguing it's not a tough job physically or mentally... but so are a lot of jobs that get paid far less.

I just think caddies make almost zero difference to the outcome. How much less successful would Phil have been over his career with a random different caddy?

They are probably worth a few shots over the course of a year which depending on when those few shots are could be worth high 6 figures or low 7 figures.

what's the real story here?

surely if it was something really benign - like one of them wanting to drastically scale back work - then they would say it.

it's a bit strange coming after phil skipped USO but that was such the right decision.

does rahm have a new caddy now that phil's brother is switching to phil? again, surely they'd just say that.

very curious to see where bones ends up............

good, real caddies are very valuable. and i'd concur quite hard work.... i have to figure that permanent caddy functions as defacto swing coach, mental coach, quality control, read putts, read lies etc.. and that's in addition to mundane stuff like carrying bag, keeping ball and clubs clean etc.... the one-time caddy or the alcoholic roadie caddy i agree is nowhere near as valuable

It's really hard to quantify. Maybe a good way to describe it is the more comfortable a caddy makes you feel in all aspects of the game, the freer the golfer is and the higher the ceiling. When totally freed up a golfer can shoot zero, when not comfortable at all he can't break par.

With Phil, perhaps without Bones he doesn't make that putt at Augusta in 2004 and loses the playoff. Then he never breaks through at a major and finishes with zero instead of five. Butterfly Effect in a way, we just don't know.

Bones could of held him back just as easy. Disappointing career considering his talent.

Yeah you can't prove a negative, but watching Patrick Reed win with his wife lugging his bag around makes me wonder how much help a world-class golfer needs to play golf. Phil, the man with maybe the greatest short game of all time, needs help from a caddy to read greens? I tend to doubt it.

Don't get me wrong I like guys like Bones and Fluff, but let's face it they hit the jackpot by hooking up with great players, not the other way around.

Ya, the 10% number from back in the day is probably a bit high now considering the players pay has risen greater in proportion to what's needed for a person to maintain a reasonable standard of living.

He's certainly had some misses but I wouldn't call 40+ wins and a handful of majors disappointing.

yeah, Phil for one would consider it disappointing though.

on one hand i would tend to disagree as players incomes have risen so much off the course and the caddies get none of that. so for mickelson to give bones 10% of his on-course income is almost meaningless to phil esp. given he doesn't play very full schedule.

OTOH, i would think bones might make a salary and also get money from some of phil's sponsors. so no need necessarily for 10% of phil's winnings.

of course phil/bones isn't typical but i would think most established players have some variant of their relationship with their caddy.

I doesn't seem o get talked about much but I wonder how many of he good young guys are locking their caddies into set money deals. I mean Joe Lacava making good money for not caddying.

Pretty sure these days 10% is only for a win. I think lots of guys pay a flat fee. Think a great caddy can make a difference on the mental side, generally agree they add zero to green reading type stuff.

I think a caddie is like acupuncture. It works if you believe in it. It doesn't work if you don't believe in it.

2nd best short game.