Max Homa reached out to Jim 'Bones' Mackay for recommendation on new caddie, and it worked
Max Homa reached out to Jim 'Bones' Mackay for recommendation on new caddie, and it worked
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Max Homa on transparency: 'It doesn't help me, but fans deserve it'
Max Homa admits being transparent might not benefit him, but says fans deserve real insight from athletes.
PGA TOUR
Jim "Bones" Mackay recommended veteran caddie Bill Harke to Homa.
Harke and Homa are working together for their fifth week at the PGA Championship.
Homa shot his lowest round at a major by three strokes, a 64, in the second round of the PGA Championship.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Max Homa needed a new caddie.
He said he always imagined that he'd play until around age 60 with his childhood friend Joe Greiner as his faithful sidekick but the two parted ways in March with Homa mired in a slump.
'I didn't really know who to go to because I never thought about it. Obviously caught me by surprise a little bit,' Homa explained after shooting 64 in the second round of the 107th PGA Championship.
So who did he reach out to for a recommendation? None other than Jim 'Bones' Mackay, the longtime looper and NBC golf commentator, who recommended Bill Harke, a 48-year-old veteran caddie who has been caddying on various tours since 2004. Harke has caddied for numerous professionals on the PGA Tour including most recently Taylor Montgomery but also a cast of characters: Jonas Blixt, Peter Tomasulo, Peter Lonard, Jarod Lyle, Aron Price, James Driscoll, Tom Gillis, Colt Knost, Sam Ryder, Paul Casey, James Hahn, Ryan Moore, Chris Kirk, Min Woo Lee, Matt Every and a few LPGA players too.
'Some caddies get breaks with who they work for and some guys don't,' Bones said. 'I thought Bill was a guy who was a very, very good caddie and never got a break in the business. I've been out with him a bunch and he's low-key, just a wonderful human being and someone you can really spend a lot of time around.'
Bones told Homa he thought they would gel.
'Obviously I put a lot of faith and trust in Bones. He's as knowledgeable as they get. Gave Bill a call,' Homa said.
Harke had been teaching golf for the last two years in the Bay Area, imparting all the golf knowledge he had learned from listening to the best teachers in the world interact with the best golfers in the world.
'I've learned a lot through osmosis,' he said.
Harke's partner, Beth Allen, a former LPGA pro, is the women's golf coach at Division II Academy of Art University in San Francisco and he also serves as her volunteer assistant coach. He was driving a bunch of players on a shuttle from the 18th green to the first tee at Quail Lodge in Carmel, California, during a tournament when his phone rang and the name Homa popped up on the screen.
They've known each other for years from Harke's days caddying for Tomasulo, Homa's former Cal teammate, and when Homa, a six-time Tour winner, asked him to work for him, he didn't hesitate to jump at the chance. Their first tournament was the Valero Texas Open in April and this week at the PGA marks the fifth week of their partnership.
'You're in like a full relationship day one,' Homa said. 'You're out there with him, first day is probably eight hours. It's not exactly a normal first date.'
They were gelling on Friday as Harke reminded Homa to 'see your target and commit to it.'
'That's all I did,' he said after the round. 'When they're playing well, it's real easy.' Homa's 64, his lowest round at a major by three shots, was a throwback to his days of point and shoot, restoring hope that he can become a top-10 player again and help Team USA regain the Ryder Cup this September. All credit to Harke?
"None at all," he said with a smile.
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