Patrick Cantlay Continues Strong Play, Now With Tiger Woods's Former Caddie Joe LaCava on the Bag

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you’re looking for reasons why Patrick Cantlay decided to switch caddies at this point in the season, there is certainly nothing obvious.

Players can make a move based on myriad circumstances, poor play being one of them. But it’s hard to see much wrong with Cantlay’s game as he is on the leaderboard again after a 4-under-par 67 Thursday at Quail Hollow Golf Club.

Cantlay, who trails first-round leader Tommy Fleetwood by two strokes, made the switch last week from his longtime caddie Matt Minister to Joe LaCava, who has worked for Tiger Woods the last 12 years and also had a long run with Fred Couples that dates to the 1980s.

The move became public at this week’s Wells Fargo Championship.

"Just having a close relationship with Fred Couples and having him speak so highly of Joe all the time," said Cantlay when asked why he decided to bring LaCava on. "I felt like I needed a change and it just seemed to work.

"Fred's just spoke so highly of him not just as a caddie but as a friend, that he's just a great dude. I trust Fred a lot, he's a good friend of mine and I've gotten pretty close to him over the years, so when he says something like that, I know he keeps a tight circle, he means it."

Cantlay, 31, is on a nice run of golf. He's had four top-four finishes in his last 12 worldwide starts and another five in the top 20, with just one missed cut. He’s made more than $5.8 million this season alone and is ranked fourth in the world.

MORE: See where Cantlay sits in the SI World Golf Ranking

But there is that nagging little fact that he hasn’t won since August at the BMW Championship. The three players ahead of him in the world ranking—Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy—all have multiple victories in that time.

Cantlay spends time with Couples playing in practicing in California and there’s no better LaCava expert. LaCava caddied for Couples for the better part of 20 years, including his 1992 Masters victory. LaCava has also been around for 31 PGA Tour victories and had 12 worldwide with Woods.

"He filled in a week for me a couple years ago," Cantlay said, referring to the 2021 Northern Trust, where he finished 11th—then went on to win the next two FedEx Cup events and the overall title. "We’ve known each other a few years now and he’s a pro and I’ve been doing it a little while now, so it’s a pretty easy transition."

Cantlay revealed that he never carries his own yardage book, so he relies on his caddie for that.

He also doesn’t mind a little tough love at the right moments and had no problem bringing in LaCava on a few putts during their opening round together Thursday.

"I think it depends," Cantlay said. "Sometimes I can get very inconsolable and there's nothing that anybody can say. But the right thing, the right comment at the right time can sometimes turn around a round or get you back on track."