Phil Mickelson will forever be associated with Jim “Bones” Mackay, the caddie-turned-broadcaster who toted Mickelson’s clubs for 25 years and five of Mickelson’s six major titles. For years on Tour, they were like peanut butter and jelly — you’d rarely see one on the course without the other.
But even the most successful player-caddie relationships nearly always sour. Such was the case in 2021 when Phil and Bones parted ways. In stepped Mickelson’s brother, Tim, a partnership that lasted until 2024, at which point veteran Tour looper Jon Yarbrough (“JY” in the caddie yard) took the gig. “Best green reader I’ve ever seen,” Mickelson tweeted of his new bagman.
Mickelson and Yarbrough paced the fairways together on the LIV Golf circuit, though Mickelson largely struggled, exhibiting little of the form that had powered him in 2021 — at nearly 51 — to a PGA Championship title. Then came 2026, when personal struggles and off-course scandal drove Mickelson off the course and out of the public eye.
Mickelson’s caddie, though, has resurfaced.
Earlier this week, word broke from the PGA Tour event in Mexico that Yarbrough had landed on the bag of Ryder Cupper Ben Griffin, in the wake of Griffin’s own split with his caddie of four years, Alex Ritthamel. Griffin and Ritthamel had had a nice thing going: three PGA Tour wins in 2025 alone, four career top 20s in the majors, an ascent into the top 10 in the world.
Ritthamel might best be known for his heroics during the week of the 2024 Genesis Invitational at Riviera, when Griffin’s clubs were left behind at previous week’s stop in Phoenix. Ritthamel and a couple of his pals dutifully hopped in a car and drove six hours to collect Griffin’s clubs at the Phoenix airport. Then they wheeled around and delivered Griffin his clubs in time for his Tuesday practice.
But . . . yeah, remember what we said about player-caddie partnerships?
“Incredible run with Alex,” Griffin said Thursday from the VidantaWorld Mexico Open, where he opened with a seven-under 64 to get within one of Kensei Hirata’s lead. “Four and a half years — we changed each other’s lives. So it was a really tough decision honestly. All respect to Alex.”
Griffin described the vibe between him and Ritthamel as “still friendly,” adding, “It’s just tough out here. Four and a half years and I just felt like the time was right for me to make a switch. It’s worked out really well. Jon’s really good on the greens. He’s known as one of the best green-readers out here, so having him today from close range was nice to help me kind of reaffirm some of my reads. And then, yeah, he’s one of the chillest dudes out here, super calm and it’s been fun so far having him one day in.”
Before joining Mickelson, Yarbrough carried Scott Stallings’ bag. He also has worked for, among other pros, Laura Diaz, Suzanne Pettersen, Morgan Pressel, Bill Haas, Gary Woodland and Smylie Kaufman. Like many Tour caddies, he’s also a fine player in his own right, having played collegiately at North Texas.
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