Tiger Woods caddie 2024: Who is Tiger Woods' caddie?

Tiger Woods has had several caddies throughout his illustrious career. 

He's best known for his partnership with Steve Williams when he dominated the sport and later Joe LaCava. 

It's all change for 2024 though as LaCava and Woods no longer work together. 

The duo have parted ways after a 12-year stint. 

Woods gave LaCava his blessing to go and work for fellow American golfer Patrick Cantlay in May 2023. 

Woods has named Lance Bennett as LaCava's replacement. 

Who is Lance Bennett?

Lance Bennett first assumed the role of Tiger's caddie at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. 

He is known for his partnership with Matt Kuchar and was on his bag when Kuch won the 2012 Players. 

Bennett has also worked for Sungjae Im and Davis Riley and has spent time on the LPGA Tour looping for the likes of Juli Inkster, Paula Creamer and Lorena Ochoa. 

Currently, Bennett is the full-time caddie for Belgian golfer Adrien Dumont de Chassart. 

But the golfer is yet to qualify for any major championships, therefore allowing Bennett to help Tiger out. 

What has Tiger Woods said about Lance Bennett?

Tiger reckons Bennett's best qualities are that he is 'very down to earth' and 'loyal'. 

Speaking in February 2024, Woods said of Bennett: "We’ve had the same type of feels in how we look at the golf course and how we read putts; they’re very similar.

“I think it's a great — we’re going to be a great team and really looking forward to the challenge."

The Joe LaCava years 

LaCava was Woods' caddie from 2011. He was credited with helping Woods win several tournaments. Most notably, the 2019 Masters. 

Prior to LaCava, Woods' long-time caddie was Steve Williams, who worked with Woods from 1999 to 2001.

Williams, from New Zealand, was on the bag for 13 of Tiger's 15 major championship victories. 

Tiger and Williams split in 2011 after working together for over a decade.

Why did Tiger Woods split with Steve Williams? 

The exact reason for their parting is not clear, as both parties have given somewhat different accounts of the circumstances surrounding the split.

According to Woods, the decision to part ways with Williams was purely business-related, and that he felt it was time to make a change.

Woods has stated that he wanted to take his career in a new direction, and felt he needed a fresh start with a new caddie.

Williams, on the other hand, has given a somewhat different account.

He said he was blindsided by Woods' decision to end their working relationship and was disappointed by the way it was handled.

Williams has also made comments suggesting that he felt underappreciated by Woods.

In interviews, he has said that he felt he deserved more recognition for his role in Woods' incredible success.

Regardless of the exact reason for the split, it is clear that Woods and Williams had a close working relationship for many years.

Their split marked a hugely significant moment in Woods' career.

Are Tiger Woods and Steve Williams still friends? 

Tiger and Williams have had a complicated relationship over the years.

Their relationship became strained in the aftermath of Woods' highly publicized extramarital affairs, which led to the former world number one taking an extended break from golf and Williams exiting stage right. 

In the years since their split, Woods and Williams have not appeared to be particularly close.

While they have occasionally exchanged pleasantries in public settings, they have not shown any signs of a close friendship or a desire to reconcile.

In fact, Williams has been openly critical of Woods on several occasions, including in his 2015 book, where he made disparaging comments about Woods' personal life and golf game.

Overall, it appears that the once-close relationship between Woods and Williams has been irreparably damaged, and they are no longer close friends.

What has Tiger said about Steve Williams?

Tiger has been relatively guarded in his public comments about his split with Williams, but he has spoken about it on a few occasions.

In a press conference prior to the 2011 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Woods was asked about his decision to part ways with Williams, and he said: 

Woods went on to say that he and Williams had a great run together, but that it was time for both of them to move on.

In a subsequent interview with ESPN, Woods expanded on his decision to part ways with Williams, saying that it was a business decision and that he felt it was time for a change.

Tiger also acknowledged that he and Williams had grown apart and their relationship had become more of a working relationship than a close friendship.

Woods stopped short of criticizing Williams and said that he was grateful for the many years they spent together.

Overall, Woods has been diplomatic in his public comments about his split with Williams, and he has not provided much detail about the reasons behind the decision.

Who else did Joe LaCava work for? 

Joe LaCava has caddied for several professional golfers throughout his career.

Prior to becoming Tiger's caddie in 2011, LaCava worked for several high-profile players, including Fred Couples, Dustin Johnson, and most notably, as the longtime caddie for hall of fame golfer, Vijay Singh.

LaCava was Singh's caddie from 1999 to 2011, during which time Singh won 22 PGA Tour events, including three major championships.

How much money did Tiger Woods pay Joe LaCava?

The exact amount that Tiger Woods paid Joe LaCava as his caddie is not publicly known, as both Woods and LaCava have not disclosed their financial arrangements.

Typically, caddies receive a percentage of a player's tournament earnings, with the exact percentage varying depending on the player and the caddie.

The standard percentage for a caddie on the PGA Tour is around 10 per cent, although some players may offer higher or lower percentages based on their individual agreements with their caddie.

As one of the most successful and high-earning golfers in history, Tiger likely pays his caddie a significant amount of money, but the exact amount is not publicly known.

When did Tiger Woods ask Joe LaCava to caddie for him?

Tiger Woods asked Joe LaCava to be his caddie in 2011, shortly after LaCava had parted ways with his previous employer, Dustin Johnson.

LaCava had been Johnson's caddie for several years, but the two had a falling out. Johnson then hired his brother Austin as his caddie. 

LaCava was at a loose end when Tiger reached out.

Woods and LaCava had been friends for many years, and Woods had previously expressed admiration for LaCava's skills as a caddie.

When LaCava became available, Woods saw an opportunity to add one of the best caddies in the game to his team, and he offered LaCava the job.

In an interview for Golfweek, LaCava explained what it was like to be offered the job by Tiger, saying: 

"It meant the world to me. You got what I consider the greatest player of all time reaching out to you to see if you want to caddie for him.

 

"He was almost like, 'I know I haven't played much lately and I'm hurt a lot, but would you take a shot and work with me?' I thought that was fantastic.

 

"My wife tells me all the time, sometimes you pinch yourself and sometimes I guess you have to pinch yourself because you don’t realize how great I've had it.

 

"Again, it's been a lot of hard work up to this point but the fact that Tiger is calling me to caddie is the greatest thing ever."

Does Joe LaCava play golf? 

Joe LaCava is a skilled golfer and has been playing the sport for most of his life. Before he became a caddie, LaCava played college golf at Western Connecticut State University and then played professionally for a few years on mini-tours and in local events.

Although he never achieved significant success as a professional golfer, LaCava has a deep understanding of the game and has developed a keen sense for reading greens and analyzing course conditions.

As a caddie, he is known for his ability to provide precise yardages and strategic advice to his player, and his own experience as a golfer is undoubtedly an asset in this regard.

Who was Tiger Woods' first caddie?

Tiger Woods' first caddie was his father, Earl Woods.

Earl served as Tiger's caddie throughout much of his amateur career, including during his victories at the 1991 U.S. Junior Amateur and the 1992 U.S. Amateur.

Earl was a significant influence on Tiger's early development as a golfer and was known for his intense dedication to his son's success.

He passed away in 2006, but his impact on Tiger's life and career is still felt to this day.

After Earl stopped caddying for Tiger, his longtime friend Bryon Bell took over the duties briefly, but Woods turned to professional caddies soon after.

Who was Tiger Woods' first caddie as a professional?

Tiger Woods' first professional caddie was Mike "Fluff" Cowan. Cowan was a veteran caddie who had previously worked for top players like Peter Jacobsen and Ed Fiori.

He was hired by Woods shortly after he turned professional in 1996 and remained on his bag for the first two years of his professional career.

Cowan was on Woods' bag during many of his early victories, including his first major championship at the 1997 Masters.

Despite their success together, Woods and Cowan parted ways in 1999, reportedly due to a disagreement over scheduling.

Cowan went on to caddie for other top players, including Jim Furyk. 

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