TOUR NEWS: Justin Rose And Caddie ‘Fooch’ Split After 11 Years

Justin Rose entered the 2019 season with high expectations, after jockeying in and out of the number one spot in the World Golf Rankings. Rose’s season hasn’t been as successful as he had hoped and now his camp is taking another big hit.

One of the reasons that may be a factor in Rose’s underwhelming results is that he hasn’t had his caddie with him consistently. Mark Fulcher had been out of action since January after undergoing heart surgery but then returned to carry Rose’s bag at Augusta. Apparently, the time off did not do enough for Fulcher, as he is now taking an indefinite leave of absence from golf for medical reasons, splitting he and Rose up after 11 years together.

This has to be a major hit for Rose to take because Fulcher has been around for all of his major accomplishments in the last decade. Fulcher was on his bag for his first PGA TOUR win in 2010, as well as the 2013 U.S. Open victory and 2016 gold medal that Rose won at the Olympics. Despite losing possibly his best asset and friend on the course, Rose knows it is for Fulcher’s own health.

Justin Rose of England plans his next shot with his caddie on the…

Justin Rose of England plans his next shot with his caddie on the thirteenth tee during the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club on May 24, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

“He has been medically advised that a further period of recuperation is required,” Rose said in response to the news this week. “I wish him all the best as he works on getting 100 percent fit and healthy. I also have no doubts that we will stride up a 72nd hole late on a Sunday afternoon together in the future.”

While Rose is confident that he and Fulcher will be reunited at some point, his career isn’t slowing down and he will need a new caddie. It appears as though the new man on Rose’s bag will be Gareth Lord, the same man that filled in during Fulcher’s first absence and at the Memorial this upcoming week. Lord should provide Rose with experience as he is a former caddie of Henrik Stenson.

It’s unknown how this shakeup will affect Rose moving forward but he will certainly continue to be a favorite for future events. We also wish a speedy recovery for Fulcher and hope he’s able to return to Rose’s side in the near future.

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