Desperate Ernie Els hopes split with caddie ignites his game

Breaking up is not hard to do anymore, especially when it comes to professional golfers giving the “heave-ho” to their caddies. Just as in the marriage front which claims more than a fifty percent divorce rate, these numbers are spilling into the arena of both the PGA and LPGA tours.

Some break-ups go well citing irreconcilable differences and others are not so friendly.

Michelle Wie didn’t release former caddie Greg Johnston face-to-face. Instead, an “endorsement” was issued via spokesperson. He should have continued to carry the bag for Juli Inkster.

Similar results for Lance Bennett, looper for Lorena Ochoa. What’s interesting in this case is that the dismissal came only six days after Michelle Wie gave the boot to Johnston and after a second place finish for Ochoa!

On the flip side, there are golfers who remain faithful to their caddies, maintaining a relationship which stands the test of time. One such commitment is the pairing of Phil Mickelson and “Bones” MacKay.

Ernie Els is the latest golfer to feel that his longtime caddy, Ricky Roberts, is to blame for his disappointing performance. Els decided to make the switch prior to the WGC-American Express Championship this week to test the waters. It is unknown whether this is a “divorce” or just a trial separation as they are also long-time friends.

Ernie’s assistant manager Mark Bell claimed, “It’s true that Ernie’s looking to re-light his fire and he obviously wants to crank it up again as far as his results are concerned, but it’s an amicable break.”

Will Ernie’s game improve with new caddie Malcolm Mason (Sam Torrance’s fourteen-year bagman) by his side? Partially through round two of the WGC, the results are not promising. Els began the day just two strokes behind Tiger Woods and has fallen into a tie for seventh place, starting on the front nine which is supposed to be an easier scoring opportunity for the players.

Perhaps instead of blaming Roberts, Ernie Els needs to search within himself to determine why his game is in a slump. The South African must put aside his knee surgery rehabilitation excuses and reclaim his mental game to ever be satisfied with both caddie and himself. Then he can dial Ricky’s number and see if the caddie will take him back!