Tiger Woods Gets Troon Reunion With Former Caddie Joe LaCava At The Open

Tiger Woods will get a reunion with former caddie Joe LaCava at The Open having been paired with Patrick Cantlay at Troon

Tiger Woods with caddie Joe LaCava at the Masters
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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There will be a Tiger Woods reunion with his former caddie Joe LaCava at Royal Troon after being paired with Patrick Cantlay in the first two rounds of The Open.

LaCava spent 12 years as caddie for the 15-time Major champion and most notably was on his bag for the last of those - that memorable 2019 Masters victory at Augusta.

With Woods' only sporadic appearances following multiple back surgeries and then his 2021 car crash, LaCava started working with Cantlay and the pair parted ways permanently last year.

Woods' 2023 Augusta National appearance, which saw him withdraw during the third round, was the last time LaCava caddied for him, and Tiger will play The Open this week with Lance Bennett again on his bag.

Bennett is an experienced caddie having been on the PGA Tour since 2003 and has carried the bag for some big names in professional golf, including Matt Kuchar, Zach Johnson, Julie Inkster, Bill Haas, Paula Creamer and Sungjae Im. 

But Woods will also play alongside his former bagman LaCava on Thursday and Friday at Troon having been paired with Cantlay and fellow American Xander Schauffele.

There should be no awkwardness in the star grouping though, as Woods and LaCava parted ways on good terms, with the caddie just looking to get more regular action than Woods could offer.

And LaCava showed his boss plenty of respect as he asked him first before going to take up a permanent role with Cantlay, as Woods' agent Mark Steinberg confirmed at the time.

Rory McIlroy and Joe LaCava during the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"Joe called Tiger to ask him and get his approval," he told ESPN. "Of course, Tiger gave it. Tiger and Joe are like brothers, tremendous friends.

"You shouldn't read anything more in to that other than Joe wants to caddie. He loves it. It's his passion. He's great at it and one of the best."

That obviously wasn't the case for LaCava and Rory McIlroy at the last Ryder Cup, with the caddie and Europe's talisman having that now infamous heated argument on the 18th green in Rome.

The clash also spilled out into the clubhouse car park after LaCava overstepped the mark when celebrating across McIlroy's line during a match against Cantlay.

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Paul Higham
Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.