Collin Morikawa Breaks Silence on Shocking Split with Longtime Caddie

Newsweek

02-05-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The caddie market has been very busy on the PGA Tour in recent weeks. One of the most talked about moves, though not the only one, was Collin Morikawa letting go J.J. Jakovac, who had been with him since day one of his professional career.
Morikawa spoke to journalist Dan Rapaport about the matter, and the reason for the split was exactly what many fans will be thinking. The caddie took the brunt of the blame for the player not feeling good about the current state of his game, as has happened hundreds if not thousands of times before.
"Sometimes things just aren't feeling right," Morikawa said. "And I think when people look at it from the macro perspective of, 'okay, you know, Colin's playing great. He's, you know, contending, he's trying to close out tournaments' and even at the beginning of the year, everything looked very, very good. Sometimes, you know, on the golf course, things just don't feel right."
Collin Morikawa of the United States walks on the second hole with his caddie Jonathan Jakovac during the third round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2025 in...
Collin Morikawa of the United States walks on the second hole with his caddie Jonathan Jakovac during the third round of the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2025 in Augusta, Georgia. MoreThe 28-year-old star began his professional career in 2019 with Jakovac already carrying his bag. Their time together includes six PGA Tour victories, two of them in major championships.
Not for nothing, Morikawa acknowledged the toughness of the moment and wished the veteran caddie a prosperous future:
"It wasn't an easy talk. I hope all the best. I hope guys are lining up for him because if you look at his resume, you look at what we've done just simply over the past six years, it's incredible," he said.
On the bright side, at least from Morikawa's perspective, there was another experienced caddy available. That was Joe Greiner, who had been carrying Max Homa's bag for the past six years until they parted ways in early April.
Greiner stepped in for the injured Matt Minister to work with Justin Thomas for two tournaments. Thomas ended up winning one (RBC Heritage) and tying for 36th in the other (The Masters Tournament).
"Joe [Greiner] is just someone that wants to continue to learn, wants to continue to get better," Morikawa said about his new caddie. "... He's one of the best out there. Obviously what he did with JT [Justin Thomas], JT is an amazing player and he is very very talented."
"But you know when you have a new caddy in, sometimes it frees people up. Sometimes it goes the other way. And obviously it helped JT for those two events."
Jakovac's professional future is still unknown. However, his more than 10 years as a caddie on the PGA Tour, with experience in major championships, Ryder Cups, Olympic Games, etc., are assets that are unlikely to go unnoticed.
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