Second PGA Tour Caddie Quits Mid-Tournament Amid Rising Tensions

Another PGA Tour caddie has reached a breaking point, quitting mid-tournament during the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. Veteran caddie Darren Woolard concluded his work for player David Lipsky after the third round on Saturday, prompting Lipsky to use a stand-in caddie for the final round.

Woolard's departure follows a similar incident in September when Alejandro Tosti's caddie, Cliff Ellis, walked off the course during the Biltmore Championship Asheville. Ellis later shared that the decision stemmed from a week of "ludicrous" and "insane" occurrences between him and Tosti, escalating from an argument over bag placement on the driving range to a mid-round dispute.

The most recent split occurred after Lipsky experienced a difficult end to his third round, with bogeys on two of his final three holes. Lipsky, who entered the tournament ranked 85th in the FedEx Cup standings and 136th in the Official Golf World Rankings, finished tied for 54th at three-under par. Despite a strong opening round of 66, his performance had been inconsistent throughout the season, with no other top-10 finishes and six missed cuts in his last ten starts.

Ellis recounted that his own mid-round departure with Tosti was triggered by a personal attack from the player after Ellis questioned Tosti's decision regarding an umbrella in the bag, which is often used for shade during play. Ellis stated that Tosti doubled down on his comments, leading Ellis to declare he was done and quit.

These successive mid-tournament caddie exits highlight a period of heightened stress and potential friction within player-caddie relationships on the PGA Tour.