Tiger Woods and Joe LaCava Jr. every had caddie duties this week.
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In 1992, Fred Couples gained the Nissan L.A. Open. The victory kicked off an electrical run that outlined the prime of his profession; Couples, 32 on the time, completed runner-up the following week, then runner-up the week after that, then gained the Nestle Invitational the week after that to get to World No. 1.
Three weeks later got here his crowning achievement: he entered Masters week as the highest participant on this planet and validated it with a successful four-round rating of 13 below par, two photographs forward of Raymond Floyd.
Couples’ caddie for this run was Joe LaCava, a no-nonsense looper in his mid-30s. They were a putting pair: Couples together with his dreamy swing and crisp white visor, LaCava toting his red-and-white Lynx bag, jumpsuit unbuttoned, inexperienced Masters hat sitting excessive atop his head. The pair went on to win 12 instances in all, together with that Masters.
Joe LaCava and Fred Couples on the 1992 Masters.
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That identical 1992 L.A. Open marked the PGA Tour debut for 16-year-old Tiger Woods. He missed the minimize however confirmed loads of promise; the highschool sophomore was the youngest man to ever compete in an official Tour occasion.
You might know this subsequent half: Just 5 years later, 21-year-old Tiger Woods gained the Masters, the golf world would by no means be the identical, and so on. and so on.
Fast-forward to 2011 when Woods, in want of a full-time caddie (one other story for an additional time) turned to LaCava, whose most up-to-date stint had been on Dustin Johnson’s bag. They meshed effectively and rapidly discovered success. Their finest season got here in 2013, when Woods gained 4 instances in seven begins, together with the Players Championship, to regain the title of World No. 1. Tougher years adopted — accidents, accidents, comebacks, setbacks — however LaCava’s dedication to Woods by no means wavered.
In current years they’d all play collectively in Masters apply rounds: Couples would exit with Woods, LaCava on his bag. They’d all cite these amongst their favourite rounds of the season. And when Woods capped off the second stage of his profession by successful the 2019 Masters, LaCava had his second main championship, too, 27 years after his first.
Fast-forward to December 2020, when Woods made a unique type of match debut: he and his son Charlie, 11 on the time, teed it up as teammates within the PNC Championship, a year-end occasion that includes execs and relations competing as two-player groups. Charlie had caught the golf bug and was desperate to showcase his sport alongside his father. LaCava, in fact, would carry for Tiger. But Tiger had an concept, which Woods’ confidante Rob McNamara told Golf Digest later. “He said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if I had Joe LaCava Jr. caddie for Charlie?’”
Joe LaCava Jr. and Charlie Woods on the PNC Championship.
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LaCava Jr. was sport. Though nonetheless a pupil at James Madison University, he made the trek to Orlando to spherical out the Woods-LaCava father-son tandem. They exceeded expectations by ending seventh within the two-man scramble with a pair of 62s. And whereas he didn’t have a lot prior caddying expertise, LaCava Jr. caught the bug, too, and parlayed his expertise right into a gig carrying at Winged Foot the next summer time. When all 4 returned on the 2021 PNC — Woods’ first match since a debilitating February automotive crash — they were even higher, capturing 62-57 to complete solo second.
Fast-forward to this 12 months, when issues actually began to return full circle. Fred Couples wanted a fill-in caddie, so he known as LaCava, Jr., now a university graduate with a advertising and marketing diploma and loads extra looping expertise. But first, out of respect, he needed to attain out to LaCava Jr.’s traditional consumer: Charlie Woods.
“I didn’t know Charlie’s cell number, but I got in touch with Tiger,” Couples told the PGA Tour this May. “JT [Justin Thomas] was on the thread, and they didn’t reply. Maybe they thought I used to be teasing a bit.
“But then I said, ‘Listen, Tiger, I need to make sure Charlie is OK with Joseph caddying for me in Atlanta.’ He got right back to me, said, ‘Just talked to him. He’s fine with it.’”
Couples laughed describing the brand new dynamic.
“I call and say, ‘Look, find a hotel room near me; get a rental car,’” Couples stated. “Sure enough, he gets a rental car, picking me up, driving me to dinner. Nothing has changed there. So I know I’ve got a good caddie and a good kid. I don’t boss him around. I used to boss his dad around a little bit, and that didn’t go so well for me.”
Now fast-forward to this previous week. LaCava Jr. was on the bag at Q-School for Brandon Hagy, and not simply as a one-off — he told Barstool Sports’ Dan Rapaport that he was “gonna give the looping life a shot.” It is the household enterprise, in spite of everything. Hagy had a strong week and closed with a final-round 68 however completed T45, one shot exterior the coveted prime 40, which is the edge for assured begins.
While LaCava Jr. was slicing his tooth in golf’s most pressure-packed ambiance, Tiger Woods was gearing as much as caddie for Charlie Woods on the Notah Begay III Boys Jr. Golf National Championship in southwest Louisiana. Clips rapidly unfold throughout the web of Charlie’s swing (as spectacular as you’d count on) and his caddie (Tiger, in a bib!).
A 13-year-old from La Crescenta, Calif. named Cole Kim blew away the sphere of their age group, capturing 64-66-68 (-15) to win by six. Evan Liu from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. completed second at 9 below. Charlie shot one below — 72-69-71 — to complete eleventh. Good on ’em all.
Let’s add up the scores, then. Joe LaCava labored for Fred Couples and then for Tiger Woods. Joe LaCava Jr. labored for Charlie Woods and then for Fred Couples. Now Tiger Woods is working for Charlie Woods, too. In different phrases, first Joe’s son stepped into his footwear, and then Joe’s boss stepped into Joe’s son’s footwear.
What’s the purpose? Mostly there isn’t one, it’s simply good enjoyable. But there’s an apparent generational story right here: Tiger Woods the caddie and Joe LaCava Jr. the caddie are every reminders that the torch will finally be handed from father to son. That’s to not say that both Joey Jr. or Charlie will ever have full-time careers in golf. But within the meantime, they’re sons who’re chasing after their fathers. That’s to not say Joe and Tiger are completed; they’re not. But they’re mentors now, in actual time. With any luck we’ll see them reunited in one other month, making a run on the PNC Championship. It’s good when tales come full circle. Any looper may respect that.
