Collin Morikawa shakes up his setup again, bringing in his fifth caddie of the season.
Collin Morikawa Makes Fourth Caddie Change in Search of Stability Before FedEx St. Jude Championship originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Scottie Scheffler's longtime caddie, Ted Scott, once said, "Caddying is an art. It’s not a science."
Scott's appearance on "The Sweet Spot" podcast provides a rare glimpse into the role a caddie plays when working for a professional golfer. Sure, they carry the player's bag and will help them choose a club or read a putt, but Scott explains the overwhelming role a caddie plays is that of psychologist.
“It’s dealing with human beings. ... You’re dealing with someone in a stressful environment, in a stressful moment”. Scott adds that the personalities of the caddie and player have to gel well for the relationship to work.
Just as judging art is subjective, so is assessing the partnership between player and caddie, even if the numbers say otherwise.
Just ask Collin Morikawa.
On paper, Morikawa, 28, had great success with his former longtime caddie, Napa native J.J. Jakovac. The pair had been together since Morikawa first turned pro in 2019, and Jakovac was on the bag for all six of Morikawa's PGA Tour wins, including two majors. The partnership earned Morikawa nearly all of his $41 million in career earnings and landed Morikawa sixth in the Official World Golf Ranking.
On the golf course, however, Morikawa said things just didn't feel right and he wanted to make a change. Morikawa split with Jakovac in late April and brought on Max Homa's longtime caddie, Joe Greiner, for the Truist Championship in May.
The pair would work together for five tournaments, but things still didn't gel for Morikawa, who split with Greiner after a T42 finish at the Travelers Championship.
"I think Joe is an amazing caddie," Morikawa said during a press conference at the Rocket Classic, "but I think just the way we kind of saw things, or just day to day, how we kind of went about it, we were just a little bit on a different page. That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong, but for me it just didn’t feel right."
Morikawa then brought on former Cal Berkeley golf teammate KK Limbhasut to caddie for the Rocket Classic in Detroit and Billy Foster for the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club and The Open Championship, where he missed the cut in each.
When Morikawa tees it up at the FedEx St. Jude Championship this week, he will have his fifth caddie on the bag in less than four months.
Morikawa has tapped Tony Finau's longtime caddie, Mark Urbanek, as the FedExCup playoffs kick off at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee. Finau won five titles in less than two years with Urbanek on the bag, however the pair split just before The Open Championship this year.
With less than two weeks before the Ryder Cup teams are decided, the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship are the last two opportunities for players to earn Ryder Cup points and make their case for captain's picks.
Morikawa is eighth in the Ryder Cup standings, just outside the top six, which automatically qualify. He would need a captain's pick from U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley to make the Uteam unless a strong showing during the playoffs propels Morikawa into the top six.
Having represented the U.S. at the 2021 and 2023 Ryder Cups, Morikawa brings valuable experience, but inconsistent play since parting ways with Jakovac makes the Angeleno a less certain choice for a captain's pick than in previous years.
If Morikawa plays in the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the next question will be, who will be his caddie come September?
Related: The Heartfelt Reason Justin Thomas Skipped the Wyndham Championship This Week
Related: Rory McIlroy's Message on Scottie Scheffler Resurfaces
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
