Its That Time Of Year For Some Notable Caddie Changes
Changes. It occurs in bunches this time of year on the pro tours. Equipment deals, different endorsement offers and yes, some caddies are asked to walk the plank. What I’ve noticed is a recent change to friends or significant others rather than seasoned loopers to schlep bags. Sometimes, it’s merely a different voice or that longterm relationships go stale. It happens. Rory McIlroy did it last year.
The interesting side note is some pros appear to play better with a friendly face rather than someone getting in their faces.
Lee Westwood won for the 1st time in four years after splitting with longtime caddie Billy Foster as GolfChannel’s Will Gray reports.
Westwood, 45, will reportedly keep his girlfriend Helen Storey on the bag moving forward, including this week at the DP World Tour Championship. The decision means an end to Westwood’s 10-year relationship with caddie Billy Foster, as the two last worked together the week prior at the Turkish Airlines Open.
“Lee wanted to work differently to everything we had ever done, which basically meant me just carrying the bag,” Foster said. “Ultimately it was no good for Lee and not fair on me either. So unfortunately the partnership had run its course, and we both knew that. Times change.”
Westwood had his son, Sam, on the bag during a T-5 finish at last month’s Andalucia Valderrama Masters, but Storey appears to be the catalyst for his game. Storey caddied at the Made in Denmark in September when Westwood lost in a playoff, and she guided him Sunday en route to his first European Tour win since 2014.
“It’s been brilliant,” Westwood told reporters. “Have to have a bit of a re-think, not least about who caddies for me, but our percentages.”
Matt Kuchar won for the first time in four years as well while using an emergency local caddie at Mayakoba. However, he’s expected to hook up with regular looper John Wood in Australia.
“[El Tucan is] definitely my lucky charm,” Kuchar said on Sunday night. “It was great having him with me. I feel like he brought me good luck, some extra crowd support, and did a great job as well. So he was great on the bag. Did just what I kind of was looking for and hoping for.”
Finally, Lexi Thompson, who has had a fretful year, split with caddie Kevin McAlpine according to Beth Ann Nichols for Golfweek.
The pair began working together shortly before last year’s ANA Inspiration, when McAlpine expertly helped Thompson navigate a nightmare four-stroke penalty in the final round.
McAlpine, a former Scottish Amateur champion who holds the amateur scoring record of 10-under 62 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, quit his job selling kids golf equipment in Scotland last March to come caddie for Thompson. He played a key role in helping Thompson weather a number of storms. It was a player-caddie relationship that once looked destined for the long haul.
It happens for a variety of reasons. The good loopers will get opportunities to carry again. Some even return at some point to the golfer who canned them.
