Justin Thomas parts ways with caddie Bones Mackay
Justin Thomas reacts after making his putt on the fifth hole during the first round of the Valspar Championship golf tournament Thursday, March 21, 2024, at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Fla. Credit: AP/Chris O'Meara
JUPITER, Fla. — Two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas has split with caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay one week before the Masters.
Thomas did not give a reason for switching caddies, posting a message on X on Wednesday saying it was “incredibly difficult” to announce and that he would be forever grateful that Mackay worked for him for the last two-plus years.
They won two tournaments together — one at the FedEx St. Jude Classic when Mackay was filling in for his previous caddie, Jimmy Johnson, and the other at the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills when Thomas rallied from seven shots back and won a playoff.
Mackay spent some 25 years working with Phil Mickelson and was working as an on-course analyst for NBC Golf Channel when he began working with Thomas.
Thomas has not won in nearly two years and his world ranking has fallen to No. 28. He failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup postseason last year for the first time.
“His wisdom on and off the course has been a blessing during a tough stretch of my career and he was there every step of the way,” Thomas wrote.
He did not say who would be his caddie at the Masters. Among the possibilities is Matt Minister, who most recently worked for Patrick Cantlay until they split a year ago.
Thomas has employed only three caddies in his 10 years on the PGA Tour.