Who Is JJ Spaun's Caddie? Meet Mark Carens

American pro, J.J. Spaun has steadily become a real force on the PGA Tour since making the step up from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2017.

Although Spaun had won three other professional titles beforehand, his biggest to date arrived at the Valero Texas Open on the PGA Tour in 2022 - not long after he hired Mark Carens as his caddie.

Spaun had previously worked with Zeke Salas - who is now Kevin Yu's caddie - before making the switch in April 2021. Around a year later, Spaun and his new bagman were on their way to Augusta National Golf Club for the first time together following the golfer's debut victory at the highest level.

Speaking to The Caddie Network's John Rathouz in April 2022, Carens attempted to express his personal satisfaction at the pair's achievement.

He said: "It's crazy. I can't believe I'm sitting here at Augusta. This is my favorite tournament, it's my favorite course. It's the hilliest course and it's the toughest course to walk, but it's also the easiest because you feel like you're walking on cloud nine..."

Caddie Mark Carens talks about 2022 Valero Texas Open win with J.J. Spaun - YouTube

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The caddie continued: "I have so much fun working for him, it's a joke. It's like it's not even work, I'm just watching someone compete at the highest level. He exudes confidence and he's been getting better every day. We've been working to get to this position. I knew it was coming, but you never really know anything. I'm just so proud of him."

Carens was born in Wellesley, Massachusetts and began playing golf at the start of his teenage years, later going on two incredible trips with his father to play some of Ireland's best courses and Scotland's best courses in back-to-back years.

Hooked by the game at that point and clearly possessing supreme talent, Carens went on to turn pro out of high school and won both the 1993 and 1995 Boston Open.

Although his playing career, which largely featured mini-tour action, came to an end in the early 2000s aged 30, Carens remained interested in the game and quickly decided on becoming a caddie in 2002 after an opportunity arose through a friend who was playing on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour.

Since then, he has worked for a handful of PGA Tour regulars - including Paul Stankowski, Jonathan Byrd, Brendon Todd, Morgan Hoffman and Aaron Baddeley. But Carens' two most well-known bosses over the years have been Bubba Watson and Si Woo Kim.

The pro looper stood in for Ted Scott at the 2010 PGA Championship as Watson tried to claim what was, at the time, the left-hander's maiden Major title, but Martin Kaymer reigned supreme in the three-hole playoff to extend his wait.

Seven years later, Carens would enjoy the biggest win of his career so far as he helped a 21-year-old Kim to the 2017 Players Championship by three strokes from Louis Oosthuizen.

Speaking to The Caddie Network's Rathouz in March 2022, Carens explained how he and Kim almost manifested the victory during a practice round the week before. The caddie said that they were on the back nine at TPC Sawgrass' Stadium Course trying to increase the pressure on Kim's shots.

Stood on the 18th tee, Carens recorded Kim with his phone and said: "one-shot lead on the last" before Kim quickly snapped back with a "No. Two-shot lead." As luck would have it, the young South Korean found himself in exactly that position seven days later and executed it to perfection.

Carens is known for his great sense of humor and relaxed demeanour, dove-tailing perfectly with Spaun nowadays as the two chilled souls continue to pursue excellence on the PGA Tour.