Just a week before the start of the 2024 Masters, Justin Thomas shockingly decides to part ways with his caddie, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay.
Next Thursday, April 11, the 2024 edition of The Masters will be teeing off live from Augusta National in Georgia. This week, former Alabama Crimson Tide golfer [autotag]Justin Thomas[/autotag] made the shocking decision to part ways with legendary caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay ahead of the iconic tournament.
Mackay worked as the caddie for Phil Mickelson from 1992 until 2017 when they mutually parted ways. Mackay spent the next four years working as a commentator for NBC/Golf Channel, before returning to the sport in 2021 to caddie for Thomas.
At this moment in time, nobody knows exactly what led to the split between the No. 28 golfer in the world and his caddie, but the timing is very interesting, to say the least.
Thomas issued a statement regarding the decision saying,
“While incredibly difficult for me to say, Bones and I have parted ways. I’m going to be forever thankful for him joining me on the bag in 2021. The things we’ve been able to accomplish together – The PGA Championship in 2022, The Presidents Cup, The Ryder Cups were all unforgettable experiences. His wisdom on and off the course has been a blessing during a tough stretch of my career and he was there every step of the way. I know there are great things coming for both of us down the road. I wish him the best of luck and will always count him and his family amongst my friends.”
It is still unknown who will be on the bag for Thomas next week, but he will have to move quickly, as he looks to claim his first-ever Masters title.
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Justin Thomas will have a new caddie next week at the Masters.
Justin Thomas will have a new caddie next week at the Masters.
He announced Wednesday on social media he was splitting with Jim “Bones” Mackay, calling the decision “incredibly difficult for me to say.” Mackay joined Thomas’ bag in late 2021, and the duo won the 2022 PGA Championship together.
Mackay was the longtime looper for Phil Mickelson before the duo split in 2017. Then, Mackay went to work full-time for NBC Sports and Golf Channel doing commentary. He was the fill-in lead analyst for NBC during the PGA Tour stop in Mexico. At the time, he said he wasnât interested in the full-time job, replacing Paul Azinger.
“I’m going to be forever thankful for him joining me on the bag in 2021,” Thomas wrote in a post on social media. “His wisdom on and off the course has been a blessing during a tough stretch of my career and he was there every step of the way.”
As for who will take over for Thomas full-time, the two-time major champion, we won’t have to wait long to find out. He’s in the field next week for the first men’s major championship of the year, the Masters.
Golf Channel’s Todd Lewis reported it will be Matt Minister on the bag for Thomas at Augusta National. Minister caddied for Patrick Cantlay when he won the 2021 Tour Championship.
Thomas worked with Jimmy Johnson since Thomas started out as a rookie in 2015 before Mackay took over the bag. Mackay caddied for Thomas when he won the 2020 WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational before he was full-time on Thomas’ bag.
Begay’s audition follows appearances from Kevin Kisner, Brandel Chamblee, Luke Donald and Jim âBonesâ Mackay.
Another week on the PGA Tour, another tryout for the open chair calling golf for NBC.
Notah Begay is jumping on the revolving carousel of lead analysts for the network for this weekâs 2024 Valspar Championship at Innisbrook Resortâs Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida. The 51-year-old has done well in his role as an on-course reporter for NBC and Golf Channel since he joined the network more than a decade ago and has taken a stab at commentary in the past.
âI’m excited and nervous,â Begay said to Golf Digest. âIf we go back to (Johnny Miller), he made it look so simple and spoke from a strong position of experience. (Paul Azinger) did a wonderful job with his energy, and you could tell he still really loved to watch the game of golf.”
Begay is the latest talking head to throw his hat in the ring after Azinger wasnât re-signed for the 2024 season, joining the likes of Kevin Kisner, Brandel Chamblee, and Luke Donald. Jim âBonesâ Mackay also sat in the chair during the Mexico Open on an off week caddying for Justin Thomas.
“I mean, there’s a definite pressure, but that’s what professional athletes deal with all the time,” he said. “I spent a career dealing with pressure. … It’s a different kind of pressure because you’re being critiqued and evaluated, and that’s OK. We should be scrutinized and called out when we make mistakes because we should be ready for the big moments.”
“You hate to lose at anything,” he added. “You get to the PGA Tour because you don’t like to lose. But these decisions are made in the best interest of the NBC team, so whatever decisions are made, I’ll support it 100 percent. My job at that point, if it isn’t me, is to support whoever’s in there and allow them to be the best they can possibly be.”
Known for his connections to Tiger Woods after the pair were teammates at Stanford, Begay turned pro in 1995 after the Cardinal won the NCAA Championship in 1994. He won four times on the PGA Tour from August 1999-July 2000 and then struggled with injuries and form before he joined the NBC crew in 2012.
Justin Thomas is skipping the Mexico Open, which frees up his caddie for some TV work.
Justin Thomas is skipping the PGA Tourâs Mexico Open this week but his caddie, Jim âBonesâ Mackay, will be busy doing a first for TV.
Mackay will serve as the lead analyst for NBC Sports on the telecast of the Tour event South of the border, the first time an active caddie has ever filled that role.
NBC Sports parted ways with Paul Azinger late last year as his contract was set to expire at the end of the season and the network has been rotating voices ever since. PGA Tour pro Kevin Kisner, who handled duties at The Sentry and WM Phoenix Open, former European Ryder Cup captain and SkySports/Golf Channel commentator Paul McGinley did so at the Hero World Challenge, Curt Byrum took a spin at the Sony Open in Hawaii, and Golf Channelâs Brandel Chamblee worked The American Express, all taking turns as the lead analyst during NBC telecasts.
Mackay, though, isnât interested in the full-time job and made it clear, via an NBC spokesman, that his upcoming TV appearance shouldnât be interpreted as him throwing his hat in the ring for the job. (Efforts to reach Mackay for comment were unsuccessful before publication of this story.) With Thomas taking the week off after playing four of the last five events on Tour, Mackay is available but heâs devoted to caddying for Thomas, who he has worked for since returning to caddying full-time in 2022. He was on the bag for Thomas when he won the 2022 PGA Championship and most recently this week at the Genesis Championship, where Thomas missed the cut.
Caddie Jim Mackay at the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
Mackay spent a stretch of 25 years as caddie for Phil Mickelson before joining NBC in 2017 as an on-course reporter and quickly becoming one of the best in the business in that role. Mackay has continued to dabble in doing TV for NBC when Thomas has been off, including for the Augusta National Womenâs Amateur and the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship last year.
A spokesman for NBC Sports said that Mackay will walk as an on-course reporter on Thursday and be part of a three-man booth for the remaining three rounds with veteran pro Brad Faxon, and Steve Sands and Dan Hicks rotating as host.
The Mexico Open marks the first of seven straight weeks that NBC will broadcast PGA Tour events, including the Players Championship. NBC is mum about who else might get an opportunity as it tries out different voices and take time in selecting a permanent replacement. Tune in next week to find out who will be next to get a spin in the big chair.
Caddie Travis Perkins talks about Sam Burns’ playoff win at the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge.
“Conversations with Champions, presented by Sentry” is a weekly series from Golfweek in collaboration with The Caddie Network, where we take you behind the scenes for a chat with the winning caddie from the most recent PGA Tour event. This week: Travis Perkins, caddie for Sam Burns at 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge.
It went to a playoff but it was over before you knew it. Sam Burns knocked out good buddy Scottie Scheffler with a winding 38-footer from off the green on the first extra hole to win the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge in dramatic fashion.
According to Burns’ caddie Travis Perkins, getting the flat stick out of the bag is always key for this duo.
“If I can get the putter in his hands, anything is possible,” Perkins told John Rathouz from The Caddie Network. The Schwab win was the third of the season for Burns and fourth in his PGA Tour career.
“I’m not saying it becomes easier but you learn how to deal with the emotions and what you’re going through inside and how your body is going to react,” Perkins said. “So I think all these wins that Sam has done, they’ve all been different. This one, coming from behind the way he did … you just never know what’s going to happen. And when you get into a playoff â it’s hard to win out there â you just try to do everything you can to keep yourself in it and try not to make mistakes.”
Back to that putt that Burns buried from way downtown.
“We were only a couple of paces away in regulation from where that ball ended up in the playoff so he kinda had an idea of what it was doing,” Perkins said. “After he made it, he came over to me and he goes ‘I didn’t think that was going to get to the hole’ but the greens had picked up some speed because they dried out so much. He thought he left it short.”
TULSA, Okla. â Jim âBonesâ Mackay received some help unscrewing the 18th-hole flag from the stick not long after his boss, Justin Thomas, had tapped in to beat Will Zalatoris in a playoff to win the 104th PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
It was for a moment such as this that Bones, 56, dropped the mic for NBC Sports and Golf Channel and returned to caddying for the one player heâd told his wife if he ever got the chance to work for, theyâd be having a conversation.
When Thomas approached Bones shortly after the 2021 Ryder Cup and asked him to become his full-time caddie, it was an easy decision for Bones. Thomas wanted him on the bag for moments such as Saturday evening, when a dejected Thomas sensed that his 4-over 74 in the third round had cost him the tournament. Despite the fact that Thomas would be entering the final round trailing by seven strokes, Bones delivered the tough love that was necessary.
âI’m fully confident in saying that I wouldn’t be standing here if he didn’t give me that, wasn’t necessarily a speech, but a talk, if you will,â Thomas said. âI just needed to let some steam out. I didn’t need to bring my frustration and anger home with me. I didn’t need to leave the golf course in a negative frame of mind. I just went down, âI played pretty well yesterday for shooting 4-over, and I felt like I’d played terrible.â And he was just like, âDude, you’ve got to be stop being so hard on yourself. You’re in contention every single week we’re playing.â â
Bones continued: âIt’s a major championship. You don’t have to be perfect. Just don’t be hard on yourself. Just kind of let stuff happen, and everything is trending in the right direction. So just keep staying positive so that good stuff can happen.â
âI left here in an awesome frame of mind,â Thomas said.
On Sunday, after taking a few last putts on the practice green, Thomas handed his putter back to Bones. No words were exchanged, but Thomas calmly took the fresh glove Bones had rested over an alignment stick and started walking towards the golf carts that were shuttling players and caddies to the first tee. Kids along a railing called out to him, but his mind was elsewhere. Instead, he slapped the glove against his right thigh. Hard. He did it again, and then a third time. He was in the frame mind to pounce if any of the inexperienced leaders faltered.
It didnât look that way early when Thomas made two bogeys in his first six holes, including a shank off the tee at the par-3 sixth hole that Bones later joked was âa shanky, barkie, sandy.â Thomas found his stride and shot 67, the only player in the last seven groups Sunday to break par, and when he ended up in a three-hole playoff, he went for the kill.
“Bones did an unbelievable job of keeping me in the moment,” Thomas said.
Justin Thomas and Bones Mackay on the 11th hole during the final round of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club.. (Photo: Matt York/Associated Press)
Winning majors is old hat for Bones, who had won five previously during his 25 years on the bag for Phil Mickelson. But he didnât have the caddie trophy to show for it.
As detailed in the new book, âPhil: The Rip-Roaring (and unauthorized) Biography of Golfâs Most Colorful Superstar,” Mickelson had a tradition where he gave his winning flag from 18 to his grandfather, a former Pebble Beach caddie, who hung them on his kitchen wall. Mickelsonâs first major flag from the 2004 Masters went there, four months after his death.
âMackay understood and respected that gesture, but 19 more Tour victories would follow, including four majors and he never got to keep a single flag,â Shipnuck wrote.
âThatâs a giant f— you to a caddie,â Shipnuck quotes someone very close to Mackay. âWhen Phil wins the Masters, he gets the green jacket, the trophy, the big check, all the glory. He had to take the flags, too?… For Phil not to follow the tradition was hugely disrespectful.â
During the week of the WM Phoenix Open, Bones hosted a dinner party for players and caddies at his home and without fail he would be asked, âWhere are the flags?â
Shortly after their break-up in the summer of 2017, Mickelson overnighted to Bones the major flags they had won together.
âBut Phil autographed them in comically large letters, which Mackay felt disfigured the keepsakes,â Shipnuck reported and noted that Bones never displayed them in his home.
Bones didnât participate in Shipnuckâs book, and when asked to confirm these details from Shipnuckâs book this week, he declined. But he also didnât refute them.
It is rich with irony that Bones was on the bag for the winner at the PGA where Mickelson was supposed to be the defending champion and elected not to play. On Sunday, Bones tucked the 18th flag into the left pocket of his shorts. Â When asked if he knew where he would display it, he smiled wide.
âIâve got a spot in mind,â he said, saying heâd have to get approval from his wife, âbut somewhere that my friends can come around and see it.â
Mackay, the longtime sidekick for Phil Mickelson, will caddie the next two weeks for Matthew Fitzpatrick.
Jim “Bones” Mackay will be walking the fairways of Muirfield Village Golf Club the next two weeks with a bag on his back again instead of a microphone in his hand.
Mackay, 53, who spent 25 years as Phil Mickelson’s sidekick, is coming out of retirement to caddie for Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick during the Dublin Double â the Workday Charity Open and The Memorial will both be held at Jack’s Place during the next two weeks.
According to a story posted by Golf Digest, Fitzpatrick didn’t recognize the phone number calling him and let it go to voice mail.
âThe message said it was Bones, and he heard through the grapevine that I was in the market for a fill-in caddie,â Fitzpatrick told Golf Digest. âI told him I was honored that he was even reaching out.â
In recent years, Fitzpatrick has had longtime caddie Billy Foster working for him, but Foster has elected to take time off rather than risking becoming infected with COVID-19 and having to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival in the U.S.
Fitzpatrick played the first three events of the Tour restart with mixed results: T-32 at Colonial, T-14 at Harbour Town and a missed cut at TPC River Highlands.
According to Golf Digest, Fitzpatrick first met Mackay when he played in Mickelsonâs group as an amateur in the 2014 U.S. Open, and the two crossed paths occasionally because Mickelson and Fitzpatrick are both sponsored by Workday.
Mackay split from Mickelson in June 2017, and has become a respected on-course reporter for NBC Sports and Golf Channel. (The Workday Charity Open and The Memorial are both being broadcast by CBS.)
Mackay previously was called back into active duty as a caddie when Jimmy Johnson, the caddie for Justin Thomas, was out with a foot injury at the 2018 Sony Open.
