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USA Today
6 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Who's next on Max Homa's bag? The caddie carousel has been busy of late
Who's next on Max Homa's bag? The caddie carousel has been busy of late Trying to keep up with the caddie carousel on the PGA Tour always has been a fool's errand but it has been particularly tricky of late. As is usually the case, all it takes is one domino to fall, and the caddie yard is in a state of flux. It was late March when caddie Joe Greiner split with his childhood buddy Max Homa after six Tour victories together for the good of their friendship. Homa quickly hooked up with veteran caddie Bill Harke, who was working as a swing instructor in the Bay Area and assistant coach to his partner — former LPGA pro Beth Allen — at Division II Academy of Art University in San Francisco. This all came at the recommendation of Jim 'Bones' Mackay. Greiner ended up spelling injured caddie Matt 'Rev' Minister for Justin Thomas at the Masters and when they won together at the RBC Heritage, JT's first victory in three years, rumors circulated that Greiner might go full-time with JT but he put the kibosh on those rumors quickly and Minister, who had replaced Bones a year earlier, returned at the PGA Championship. But it didn't take Greiner long to find a new full-time bag, hooking up with Collin Morikawa, the two-time major winner who has been battling his own winless drought. J.J. Jakovac had been Morikawa's only bagman since turning pro in 2019. JJ turned up as a fill-in on Matt Wallace's bag for one week at the Charles Schwab Challenge before landing a full-time gig with promising rookie Michael Thorbjornsen. (He failed at U.S. Open Final Qualifying and withdrew from the RBC Canadian Open this week, citing a wrist injury.) Jakovac slid into the job formerly held by Lance Bennett, who had been caddying for Tiger Woods before his latest injury sidelined him. Thorbjornsen shares the same management company, Excel Sports Management, as Woods and Homa. After Homa parted ways with Harke on Sunday following the Memorial, he carried his own bag during Monday's 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier and lost in a playoff. Who did Homa ring to handle caddie duties this week at the RBC Canadian Open? None other than Bennett. It's unclear what Homa's plans are beyond this week but stay tuned. The caddie carousel doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon.
USA Today
16-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
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 Show Caption Hide Caption 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.
