After 25 Years Phil Mickelson and Caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay are Splitting Up

There have been some great partnerships in sports over the years, from Shaq and Kobe to Jeter and A-Rod, even the fictional sports duo of Rickey Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. Unfortunately, these dynamic duos don’t last forever, and this is now true for one of golf’s longest (and most successful) partnerships.

Yes, you read that headline correctly.  Phil Mickelson and Jim “Bones” Mackay announced on Tuesday that they were mutually parting ways. Lefty and Bones had worked together for the past 25 years. In a joint statement, the pair of golf giants stated no specific reason for their splitting up other than the fact that they believe it is simply time to move on.

“Bones is without a doubt one of the most thoughtful people that I have ever known.”

– Phil Mickelson

This will be a huge transition for both Phil and Bones since the pair have worked together for so long and had so much success. In fact, Phil won 41 of his 42 PGA TOUR events and all five major championships when Mackay was at his side. That success is hard to repeat and Phil will always admire Bones as a caddie and human.

“Bones is without a doubt one of the most thoughtful people that I have ever known,” Mickelson said, “The next player to work with him will obviously be very lucky.”

Despite the split, the two look to have continued success on the PGA TOUR. Mickelson announced that his new caddie will be his brother, Tim. Tim Mickelson is no slouch himself, having been a former golf coach at Arizona State University and an agent for rising star Jon Rahm. Tim has also caddied for Phil once before, filling in while Bones was under the weather at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

As for Mackay, he declined to comment past the joint statement that was put out on Tuesday but he should have many golfers vying for his services. Other than the 41 victories he helped Mickelson win, Bones has also worked with some other golf giants, having carried the bag for former major champions Larry Mize and Scott Simpson. Someone with that pedigree won’t be out of work for long.

While both players seem to believe this split is mutually beneficial, it will certainly be weird to see Mickelson without Bones at his side in his next tournament. And only time will tell if either of them will continue to have the success that they found together for over two decades.

Cover Photo via YouTube