Tiger Woods's Caddie Joe LaCava Has Steve Stricker's Bag at the Zurich Classic

Well before Woods announced his ankle surgery, his caddie had arranged to work at the PGA Tour's team event.

Joe LaCava wasn’t going to be working for Tiger Woods this week, and now it appears that it will be quite a while after Woods announced that he had surgery on his right ankle.

But LaCava has a bag this week at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans—he is caddying for Steve Stricker.

It all came about well before Woods’ injury issues came about and it’s strictly a one-week deal. And it only came about because another LaCava was not available—Joe’s son, Joe Jr. But the younger LaCava, who has caddied for Stricker in the past, is working for Brendan Hagy on the Korn Ferry Tour.

"I literally said, 'I can ask Joe, but I don't think he's going to want to come,'" said Stricker, whose partner is Zach Johnson in the Tour’s only team event. “A 56-year-old guy, washed up Tour player. Do I really want to come all the way from New York down to New Orleans?

"So my thinking went away from Joe Sr. right away. I'm like, he's not going to want to come here. I asked a bunch of people. I told him the story already. I asked a bunch of other guys and nobody could make it."

Stricker’s wife, Nikki, who has caddied for him at times, kept pushing him to ask Joe Sr.

"Finally I asked him and he was like, 'oh, heck, yeah, I'll come.' I should have asked him right after I asked his kid, and now he's upset I asked his kid first," Stricker said.

"He's such a great guy, fun to be with, easy to be with. Obviously is very good at what he does. We've been having fun with him so far. But that's the short story made long, that's how it ended up being."

Johnson is the 2023 U.S. Ryder Cup team captain and will have Stricker as an assistant. Stricker had the job two years ago when the Americans won at Whistling Straits, where Johnson assisted him.

LaCava, who has been Woods’s caddie since 2011, had a long stint with Fred Couples, who he’s caddied for this year on the PGA Tour Champions.