Who is Phil Mickelson's caddie now in 2024?
US golfer Phil Mickelson is largely regarded as one of the finest players on the circuit, having won six major tournament championships and 45 PGA Tour matches. At 50 years, 11 months, and seven days old, he broke the record for the oldest player to win the PGA Championship. He is also a three-time Masters winner. Additionally, Mickelson was the most expensive golfer in this year's controversial LIV Golf series.
Caddies play an essential role in a golfer's professional life and so too, in their victories. When Phil Mickelson parted ways with his caddie of 25 years, Jim 'Bones' Mackay in 2017, it came as a shock to everyone.
Mickelson soon partnered with his brother, Tim Mickelson, who took up the role of his caddy. The duo won several titles together, including the 2021 PGA Championship. Interestingly, when Mickelson announced the development on social media, Tim had a very surprising response.
He said that he never envisioned himself caddying for him or on the PGA Tour until Mickelson asked him. According to Sportscasting, he said:
"We had never talked about it. Until the day he called, I had never envisioned myself as a caddie for him or as a caddie on the PGA Tour."
"The biggest thing is, it’s family," - Tim Mickelson on caddying for brother Phil Mickelson
Phil called up his brother Tim after parting ways with Jim 'Bones' Mackay. Although it was not something that Tim ever envisioned himself doing, he immediately took over the job.
Tim was a golf coach at the University of San Diego for eight years before coaching at Arizona State from 2011 to 2016. While he was there, he trained world No. 1 amateur Jon Rahm, who has gone on to become a prolific golfer.
Aside from teaching golf, he also had ambitions to become a sports agent. When Rahm decided to go pro in 2016, Tim soon became his agent after coaching him earlier.
However, when his brother Phil called him up to be his caddy, he immediately dropped all his ambitions of being a sports agent and took over caddying duties for his brother.
He said that Rahm understood the opportunity and supported him.
"We talked to Jon, and he was great about it," he said, "There’s not a lot that you have to do for me on a day-to-day basis, and our schedules are kind of the same. I think we can manage it."
Tim told San Diego Union-Tribune that due to his job, he was starting to spend more time with his brother, Phil Mickelson.
"The biggest thing is, it’s family. I thought it would be neat to be out here more and spend more time with my brother. And, indirectly, I’m going to end up spending more time with everyone else in my family."
Tim also played golf during the late 1990s and even participated with Mickelson at the Buick Invitational in 1999 although neither got the cut.