It’s often golfers who part ways with their caddies over disagreements, differing perspectives, or other issues. However, every so often, the roles are reversed, and the caddie decides to call it quits. Three-time major champion Vijay Singh found himself in precisely that situation, with the split coming just days before the SAS Championship, part of the PGA Tour Champions, at Prestonwood.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Well, my caddie fired me this Tuesday. I think I was a little — I was getting onto him too much,” Singh said on Saturday ahead of the final round. “It’s good to have Wayne back. We worked together for a while. Just comfortable. Get on the tee, you don’t have to think about too much. And he’s doing most of the thinking. You just have to hit it. It’s pretty good. I’m happy to have him back.”
Although the identity of the caddie who “fired” Vijay Singh remains unclear, things ultimately worked out well for the Fijian golfer in the $2.1 million purse event. Replacing the unidentified caddie with his former caddie, Wayne De Haas, Singh carded three straight rounds of 3-under 69 for a total of 9-under 207 to claim a two-shot victory over Ernie Els.
As soon as Singh sank his par putt on the 18th hole at Prestonwood Country Club on Sunday evening, he turned to De Haas and embraced him. The win became his first PGA Tour Champions title since 2023 and his sixth overall on the senior circuit while climbing from 57th to 33rd in the Charles Schwab Cup standings.
That said, Singh was fortunate that De Haas, a former professional golfer who competed on the DP World Tour, was available to step in at such short notice. Following his victory, the 63-year-old revealed why his last-minute caddie change worked out so well.
“All a coincidence. He lost his job on the Korn Ferry, and my caddie fired me this week, and I just called up Wayne, and I said, ‘Hey, are you ready?’” Vijay Singh revealed. “He said, ‘Yeah.’ You know, it was a good team because I missed him. I missed what he brings to the teamwork. It was so much easier to play golf with somebody really knowing what they’re doing.”
Interestingly, it’s unclear who De Haas was caddying for on the Korn Ferry Tour. However, he has previously worked for Cameron Young and Ernie Els, who, of course, finished runner-up on Sunday. And regarding his past partnership with Singh, he had caddied for the Fijian golfer during the Masters, where Singh missed the cut.
De Haas was more than happy to receive the phone call from Singh to caddie. And for good reason.
“This one is a bittersweet one for me,” De Haas said after Singh’s win. “Unfortunately, my dad passed two years ago. I was on the 8th tee box [during the SAS Championship] when I found out my dad had passed away. So this is for him.”
While things turned out well for Vijay Singh and De Haas, Singh’s split isn’t the first fallout this year between a caddie and a golfer. Remember? Veteran caddie Darren Woolard reportedly reached his breaking point after a frustrating 54 holes with David Lipsky at the Baycurrent Classic at Yokohama Country Club in Japan.
After opening with a promising 66 on Thursday, Lipsky carded rounds of 72 and 73, with bogeys on two of his final three holes on Saturday adding to the frustration. With tensions reportedly mounting, Woolard decided to call it quits after the third round, telling Lipsky to find someone else to carry his bag.
Lipsky subsequently brought in a replacement for Sunday’s final round, reportedly his physiotherapist, and finished tied for 54th. In another example, during the first round of the Biltmore Championship on September 17, 2026, caddie Cliff Ellis abruptly walked off the bag for Argentine golfer Alejandro Tosti midway through the round at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove in Asheville, North Carolina.
The split reportedly followed simmering tensions and an argument over an umbrella and bag logistics. Ellis eventually set down the bag, removed his caddie bib, and left. Tosti initially thought Ellis had simply gone to the bathroom. Once he realized Ellis had abandoned him, Tosti recruited a spectator to carry his bag for the remaining holes.
Tosti carded a 1-over-par 72 in the opening round but ultimately missed the cut.