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‘My Best Friends Are…’: Renowned Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay Pours His Heart Out About Tiger Woods’ Ex Caddie Joe LaCava

Published 06/01/2023, 1:28 PM EDT

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Golf is undoubtedly one of the most elite sports out there. In no other sport, you will witness an athlete being trailed by a caddie picking up their gear. We frequently forget the names of these crucial caddies when talking about the players’ success, but one thing is sure: they play a significant role in the golfers’ professional lives.

Jim Mackay is most likely well-known to golf fans. He long served as Phil Mickelson’s caddie before caddying for Justin Thomas. Let’s see what he has to say about the golf world.

Jim Mackay gives his take on other caddies

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Recently, Golf.com shared a video of Mackay talking about other caddies and his life on Tour on Instagram. The video was captioned with: “It’s a real fraternity out there. Bones Mackay talks about life as a caddie on the PGA Tour with @kclairerogers.”

He discussed his relationships with other caddies there, including Michael Greller, Joe LeCava, and Joe Skovron. Joe LeCava is the former caddie of Tiger Woods, and according to him, they both attended each other’s weddings. “My best friends are caddies Joe LeCava, you know who now works with Patrick Cantlay. We’ve been the best friends since 1991. I was in his wedding, he was at my wedding.”

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He added that even at the age of 80, he will still want to know what his fellow caddies are doing because his bond with them is so deep. Additionally, he mentioned how he had assumed there would be a division between caddies and players, but that this is not the case.

He claimed to have spent weeks with Justin Thomas. He added that when he caddied with Joe LeCava in the 1990s, players and him regularly went out to eat. The golf community has a strong sense of fraternity, and all golfers are genuinely friendly, and he is delighted to be a part of all the adventures.

“That thing was pleasantly a surprise to me when I started caddying and it still holds true today is I thought there would’ve been a separation between the caddies and the players. But there really isn’t,” said Mackay.

“It’s a real fraternity out there. The guys out here are really good humans and they’re so much fun to be around, and it’s this little adventure. We’re all in this traveling circus. It’s fun to be a small part of it.”

Jim Mackay’s stern words helped Justin Thomas win the PGA Championship

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At the end of 2021, Jim Mackay and Justin Thomas formed a partnership. Prior to that, Mackay was Phil Mickelson’s caddie. Thomas and Mackay’s partnership came to fruition when Thomas won the PGA Championship last year. Thomas won his second major championship by one stroke over Will Zalatoris. The 30-year-old gave credit to Mackay for his inspiring yet challenging speech, which eventually paid off after the stunning victory.

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After the third round of the game, Thomas was not at all in a good mood due to his performance. Mackay intervened, telling Thomas not to be too hard on himself because golf courses are challenging. Thomas even claimed that Mackay urged him to stay upbeat so that he might do much better.

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“I wouldn’t be standing here if he didn’t give me that talk,” Thomas said after his win. “It’s a hard golf course. It’s a major championship. You don’t have to be perfect. Just don’t be hard on yourself.”

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Written by:

Rajnandini Rathore

322Articles

One take at a time

Rajnandini is a promising addition to the team as a Golf writer. She was recently recruited in the latest round of ‘ES Draft’ as one of the young writers who is an avid golf enthusiast. With Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson being her entry into the fandom of the sport, Rajnandini believes LIV Golf is the future of the sport.
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Edited by:

Manaal Siddiqui

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