Bogie and Bacall, Mantle and Maris, and Rogers and Astaire are all great pairings who withstand the test of time.
Arguably, Golf Hall-of-Famer Phil Mickelson and caddy “Bones” Mackay may someday be added to that gallery of greatest twosomes. But with the news yesterday that the world’s most famous left-handed golfer and his bag-carrier extraordinaire are parting ways, an asterisk will rest beside their names.
After partnering for a quarter century, Phil and Bones announced with joint statements Tuesday that Bones will no longer caddy for the five-time Major winner.
“Player-caddie relationships don’t often last that long,” said Mackay. “I will always be grateful that I was around to witness so much of Phil’s career. When Phil hired me in 1992, I had one dream: to caddie in a Ryder Cup. Last year, at Hazeltine, Phil played in his 11th straight Ryder Cup. It was cool to have a front-row seat.”
Mackay who was at his boss’s side for 41 of his 42 PGA Tour victories explained in an interview in 2010 that Fred Couples gave him his nickname in 1990. “He was trying to get my attention from across a room, and he didn’t know my name,” he recalled. “Finally he just yelled, ‘Bones.’ And it stuck.”
Mickelson, who did not tee-it-up last weekend at the 117th U.S. Open at Erin Hills and attended his daughter’s high school graduation instead, said that “Bones and I have mutually decided to end our player-caddie relationship.” The 47-year-old golfer said his decision was not based on any specific reason or any particular incident, rather based on a mutual feeling that t was the “right time” to make a change
“Bones is one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated caddies in the world. He is always prepared and has the ability to make decisions in pressure-packed situations. Bones is without a doubt one of the most thoughtful people that I have ever known. The next player to work with him will obviously be very lucky,” Michelson said.
“My relationship and history with Bones far exceed golf. He has been one of the most important and special people in my life since the day we met and I will always be grateful for everything he has done for me,” he added
ESPN reported that Tim Mickelson will now carry Lefty’s bag. No stranger to golf, Phil’s younger brother used to be head golf coach at Arizona State and currently manages rising PGA Tour star Jon Rahm. He took over caddying responsibilities for a week earlier this year at the WGC-Mexico Championship when Mackay suffered a temporary illness.