Scottie Scheffler heads into the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs atop the points table, hungry to convert last week’s near-miss at the St. Jude Championship into a win at Caves Valley. But there’s a twist: his trusted caddie, Ted Scott, won’t be by his side again.

Since teaming up in 2021, Scott has been there for all four of Scheffler’s Major wins. Yet, in his two recent absences (the 2024 PGA Championship and last week in Memphis), Scheffler‘s game dipped slightly. But this creates an opportunity for Scheffler to rely on a new caddie but a familiar face: Michael Cromie.

Who is Michael Cromie?

Michael Cromie gained prominence in the golf circuit as Chris Kirk‘s caddie. A Georgia Golf alumnus, Cromie was introduced to golf at the ripe age of 4. As most kids would, he hated the sport initially. It took him some time, most likely by the age of 10, to get the hang of the clubs and balls. But even then, he wasn’t completely committed to it.

Throughout his childhood, Cromie explored various other sports as well, at times prioritizing them more than golf. Growing up in Cary, North Carolina, Cromie split his time between baseball, hockey, soccer, and basketball, with his parents shuttling him to tournaments in every sport.

By the time he turned 11, his father presented him with an ultimatum: just choose two sports to engage yourself with. Chromie chose soccer… and obviously golf. Ultimately, the sport he hated became the sport he decided to have a career in. Subsequently, he earned a scholarship to Georgia and eventually became a part of the Georgia Bulldogs golf team, recruited by his head coach, Chris Hack. He had a standout college career, with four top-10 finishes from five starts, two eighth places, and a T5 at the 2013-14 Carpet Capital Collegiate, where he had a score of 2-under 214.

To him, his biggest achievement was winning the 2014 North & South Men’s Amateur at Pinehurst. Before this, he had also won the North & South Junior Amateur. “To have your name on the same trophy as Jack Nicklaus, Francis Ouimet just to name a couple is very humbling and a great honor. To be the first player to accomplish something at Pinehurst is something I have trouble wrapping my mind around,” he told Collegiate Golf in an interview.

When Michael Cromie met Chris Kirk

Cromie began caddying for Chris Kirk around June 2020 and has since then stood by his side. This is actually interesting, as before Cromie, Kirk was known to rotate caddies once every few weeks in order to keep things fresh. But after meeting Cromie, he stopped this habit.

His decision to stick with the Georgia alumnus proved to be fruitful as Cromie helped Kirk break his seven-year winless drought by capturing the 2023 Honda Classic. Beyond being Kirk’s looper, Chromie has also assisted him with reading greens—notably using AimPoint techniques—and has contributed to designing a custom putter for Kirk called Chris Kirk No. 7. These have clearly helped Kirk’s performance, as he came ridiculously close (he finished at 51st) to qualifying for the BMW Championship. With Kirk’s season ending soon, Cromie’s schedule opened up, and Scheffler saw an opportunity and grabbed it.

Michael Cromie’s net worth and personal life

Not much information is available on Cromie’s net worth. Caddies usually make 5% -10% of the golfer’s earnings, depending on where the player lands on the ranking. As per 2022 data, his estimated earnings come somewhere around $113,833 based on Kirk’s performance.

Off the course, too, he keeps a relatively low profile. He married his wife, Collins, in 2016, and as per Cromie’s Instagram, the couple shares two children and a dog. He often posts pictures of himself spending vacations on beaches with his family. His Insta bio says “Husband, Father, Believer, UGA Golf alum, Caddy on the PGA Tour”

With him stepping in for Ted Scott, Cromie has some big shoes to fill. Whether this new partnership can click quickly enough to deliver Scheffler another win, we’ll find out soon enough.