‘Things Just Weren’t Right’ – Wyndham Clark’s Caddie Opens Up On Split

John Ellis has given his take on why he and Wyndham Clark have parted ways following a decade-long partnership

John Ellis and Wyndham Clark during a tournament
John Ellis has opened up on his split with Wyndham Clark
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Caddie John Ellis has opened up on his split from Wyndham Clark, which brought to an end a partnership that began a decade ago.

Matt Gannon broke the news of Clark and Ellis’s split on X, with the caddie later appearing on Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio’s Gravy & The Sleeze with Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.

Former pro Ellis was Clark’s assistant head coach at the University of Oregon’s men’s golf program when he began caddying for him in 2016.

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He explained that maintaining the pair’s friendship was more important than continuing their working relationship, admitting that “things just weren’t right.”

He explained: "When things aren’t going great and I care more about, you know, Wyndham and I’s friendship, you know, we’re friends before business, and things just weren't right.

“Something had to give and it felt like it was just time maybe, you know, a different voice for both of us would help.”

The split comes during a period where Clark is struggling relative to the pair’s most successful period. That was in 2023, and included Clark’s victory over Rory McIlroy at the US Open, the month after he has claimed his maiden PGA Tour title at the Wells Fargo Championship.

John Ellis and Wyndham Clark hug after winning the US Open

John Ellis and Wyndham Clark hug after winning the US Open

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Clark reached the world’s top 10 for the first time in his career shortly after his maiden Major win, and two months after his most recent PGA Tour title, at the weather-affected 2024 Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he was in the world’s top three.

At that point, he appeared set for a period of dominance, but some high points aside, his form began to decline.

A T13 at The American Express is the best Clark has to show for his efforts in 2026 so far, while he could only place T46 at The Players Championship, with the split coming just days after the TPC Sawgrass event and leaving the star 67th in the world rankings.

Despite Clark’s slump in form, the news of the split still came as a surprise given the pair’s long-term friendship, but Ellis insisted they had not fallen out.

He added: “There’s no… if I get on Instagram it looks like there’s a lot of hatred, but there’s no hatred for Wyndham and I. We are still friends. We texted yesterday, it’s all good. It’s part of the business and I’m going to still root for him and surely he will root for me whatever I do after this.”

John Ellis and Wyndham Clark during The Players Championship

John Ellis and Wyndham Clark's last tournament together was The Players Championship

(Image credit: Getty Images)

According to Gannon, Dave Pelekoudas will be on Clark's bag "for the foreseeable future" after filling in for Ellis in the past.

Pelekoudas has previously caddied for pros including Xander Schauffele, Taylor Moore, Sam Ryder and Brian Campbell.

Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 


He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 


Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 


Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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