If you’ve been following the LPGA this season, you would have noticed that there has been a new face on tour. Rio Takeda. With her impeccable talent, Takeda has quickly become one of the most talked-about rookies on the tour. After absolutely dominating the LPGA of Japan Tour in 2024, where she racked up eight wins, the 22-year-old sensation from Japan earned her way into the LPGA after her stellar win at the Toto Japan Classic.

And it didn’t take her long to prove she belonged here. With another win at the Blue Bay LPGA just a few months after, where she closed with a stellar 64 and the largest margin of victory in the tournament’s history, Takeda made it clear she was no ordinary rookie. But at the time of her win in March, Rio Takeda had Dean Herden on her bag. The two eventually parted ways after, with Herden moving to Jin Young Ko, and Takeda leaning toward a new name. So, who is he?

Who is Ken Herring? Rio Takeda’s trusted looper

Ken Herring might be a new name for some of us, and even for some on the LPGA Tour, but he’s been in the golfing circle for decades and has seen the highs, the lows, and everything in between. From looping for Australian Peter Lonard in the early 2000s to guiding Scottish pro Marc Warren for years on the DP World Tour, Herring’s been around since the age of 17.

Ken Herring says he practically ‘grew up on tour,’ and it’s true. His journey began early, inspired by his next-door neighbor, who happened to caddie for none other than Bernhard Langer at the time. “When he parked his Porsche outside, and hung his Boss clothes on the washing line, I was instantly interested!!,” Herring told the Professional Ladies Tour Caddies Association.

It was clear that Herring caught the caddying bug then, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do and what his future might look like. When asked what he loves most about caddying, his answer was straight from the heart — “Getting to work outdoors every day.”

Over the years, Herring’s bag has been on the bags of some notable names. He’s teamed up with the likes of Thomas Bjørn and Thorbjørn Olesen, but he’s perhaps best known for his long-time partnership with Marc Warren. In fact, during the 2020 Austrian Open, Warren had to carry his own bag after Herring’s COVID-19 test results didn’t come in on time. It was one of the rare times in over 15 years that Warren teed it up without his trusted caddie, a clear testament to just how steady and reliable Herring has been over the years.

And then there were times when Ken Herring briefly stepped in for others, too. Just a week after Marc Warren won the 2014 Made in Denmark event at the Himmerland Golf & Spa Resort, Herring briefly caddied for Jamie Donaldson. He helped guide the Welshman to a win at the 2014 D+D Real Czech Masters, making it one of his most successful phases in his caddying career.

Two years later, Ken Herring was asked for again, this time from Lee Westwood, whose legendary caddie Billy Foster was sidelined with a knee injury during the 2016 DP World Tour Championship. Despite having just one practice round together and not knowing Westwood’s game, Herring helped him finish a solid T13 at the event.

In fact, Lee Westwood confessed to having “full confidence” in Herring and his usual looper, Billy Foster, who Westwood confessed, “normally thinks for me.” With these stints, it is evident that Rio Takeda has a very experienced bagman by her side.

Before Takeda, and sometime after his stint with Marc Warren, Ken Herring worked with Jenny Shin in 2022 and then with Bronte Law briefly. These weren’t just one-off gigs; they were part of a quiet shift in Herring’s career, from decades on the DP World Tour to bringing his seasoned eye to the women’s game.

Since partnering up with Ken Herring after March, Rio Takeda missed the cut at the 2025 Ford Championship, but it didn’t take too long for their partnership to bring results. Takeda has racked up an incredible seven top-10 finishes this year, four of them being with Herring in her bag.

In fact, her brilliant runner-up finish at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, where she tied with Nelly Korda and finished two shots shy of winner Maja Stark, was with Ken Herring by her side.

Rio Takeda currently ranks 4th on the Race to CME globe points and is 13th on the Rolex World Rankings, so it’s clear that the Herring-Takeda partnership is clicking.

But Ken Herring isn’t all about caddying. In fact, one of his brilliant ideas even ended up shaping a professional event.

Ken Herring’s idea that transformed a tournament

Back in 2018, it was Herring who first pitched the concept of a “Captain’s Team” for the second edition of the GolfSixes tournament—an innovative, fast-paced format designed to be golf’s answer to cricket’s Twenty20. His suggestion was to pair former Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn with Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew.

That idea sparked something big. The European Tour not only embraced it but also thought it was an incredible idea, and they decided to take it forward. The mixed-gender Captain’s Team became the headline feature of that year’s event at Centurion Club, marking the first time women competed in a European Tour team event. “It is a stroke of brilliance, I think it is fantastic,” European Tour CEO Keith Pelley confessed, pointing towards Herring, who was Bjorn’s caddie at the time.

The bold move opened new doors for creativity in golf formats and showed that Herring’s influence extended far beyond just carrying the golf bag and reading the greens. And perhaps that wide-angle view of the game is what makes Herring so valuable—not just to a player like Takeda, but to the sport itself. Clearly, Ken Herring’s done it all.

And when asked to name his favorite course, Herring pointed to one that most haven’t even heard of— the Crans-sur-Sierre in Switzerland. It’s a choice that says a lot about him — quiet, distinctive, and a little off the usual path.