Miyu Yamashita is making quite a statement in her first full season on the LPGA Tour. In 11 starts, she has finished in the top 10 four times and made the cut 9 times. Her best finish came at the JM Eagle LA Championship, where she finished T3 with a score of 19 under par.

The Japanese golfer came into the LPGA Tour after winning the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament in December 2024. Prior to that, she had made occasional appearances in Majors while competing in the LPGA Tour of Japan. She had clinched 13 titles in the Tour, but the LPGA Tour is a whole different animal. She will need a whole lot of guidance and support for continued success. But who is there by her side during a new adventure?

Miyu Yamashita’s caddie

In her first full season on the LPGA Tour, Yamashita needed some guidance. So she turned to New Zealand bagman, John Bennett, to help guide her through the ups and downs of the topmost tour in women’s golf. Bennett himself comes with an experience of 22 years and started his career after a friend requested him to caddie for him. There was no turning back from that.

The New Zealander loves caddying because of the long off-season and also because of the freedom he gets from working in an office. Not a fan of closed workspaces! Bennett has spent the majority of his time in Japan, where he loves their concept of nomihodai, which is an offer put forth by some restaurants or bars that translates to “all you can drink.” Bennett is a member of the Professional Ladies Tour Caddies Association and

John Bennett’s experienced profile

The New Zealand native has caddied for a few experienced players during his career. Famed Japanese golfer Sakura Yokomine had Bennett as her bagman for several years. Bennett joined Yokomine’s team in 2009 after splitting with his long-time partner on the course, David Smail. Smail won seven career titles alongside Bennett, including the 2001 New Zealand Open.

It was this success that made Smail not too keen to split with his caddie. “It was mostly his decision. I’d have been keen to keep him on,. It’s been a tough decision for him. We’ve had eight years together and we’ve done pretty well as a team. But things change and I hope he goes well.” Smail stated. Bennett stayed on with Yokomine till 2015, before changing to Ayaka Matsumori.

In his first year itself, Matsumori and Bennett won a title together, the Fujitsu Ladies 2016, on the LPGA Tour of Japan. Bennett’s experience was key for Matsumori, as he kept asking her to be patient when her shots weren’t falling. It is this experience that Yamashita would want to use as she pursues her full LPGA career.

Can Yamashita and Bennett team together and claim a victory on the LPGA Tour and form a premier partnership like Ted Scott and Scottie Scheffler?