American golfer Phil Mickelson is widely regarded as one of the best players on the tour, having won six major tournament championships and 45 PGA Tour matches. At 50 years, 11 months and seven days, 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 therefore also in his victories. When Phil Mickelson split from his 25-year-old junior, Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay in 2017, it came as a shock to everyone.
Mickelson soon teamed up with his brother, Tim Mickelson, who took on the role of his caddy. The duo have 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 he never imagined himself caddying for him or on the PGA Tour until Mickelson asked him to. According to Sportscasting, he said:
“We never talked about it. Until the day he called, I never imagined myself caddying for him or caddying on the PGA Tour.”
“The most important thing is that it’s family”, – Tim Mickelson on the shopping cart for his brother Phil Mickelson
Phil called his brother Tim after splitting with Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay. Although it wasn’t something Tim ever considered doing, he immediately got back to work.
Tim coached golf at the University of San Diego for eight years before coaching at Arizona State from 2011 to 2016. While there, he trained world amateur No. 1 Jon Rahm, who became a prolific golfer.
In addition to teaching golf, he also had ambitions to become a sports agent. When Rahm decided to turn professional in 2016, Tim quickly became his agent after coaching him earlier.
However, when his brother Phil called him to be his caddy, he immediately abandoned all ambitions of being a sports agent and took over the caddy duties for his brother.
He said Rahm saw the opportunity and supported him.
“We spoke to Jon, and he was great about it. He said, ‘You don’t have much to do for me day-to-day, and our schedules are pretty much the same. I think we can manage.”
Tim told the San Diego Union-Tribune that because of his job, he started spending more time with his brother, Phil Mickelson.
“The most important thing is that it’s family. I thought it would be nice to be here more often and spend more time with my brother. And, indirectly, I’m going to end up spending more time with all the other members of my family.”
Tim also played golf in the late 1990s and even competed with Mickelson in the Buick Invitational in 1999, although neither got the cup.
Comments are closed.