Zach Johnson splits with ‘shocked’ caddie Damon Green

Zach Johnson has split with his caddie of 15 years Damon Green, leaving his bag-man ‘shocked’

Zach Johnson and Damon Green, who have been one of the longest-running player-caddie relationships on the PGA Tour, are no more, according to a report on thecaddienetwork.com

This one is flying under the radar a little, perhaps because of the sheer volume of caddie-playere break-ups reported in the last couple of months, but it’s a split many didn’t see coming. And Green is counted among those.

Johnson, who won both the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship with Green on his bag, was the one to call time on the partnership– although he apparently insisted it wasn’t a ‘firing’.

“Zach said, ‘I think we need to take a break. It’s not a ‘firing.’ We’re too good friends for that.'” Green told The Caddie Network on Saturday.

“I just think he didn’t want to say the word ‘fire.’ I was shocked.”

The Johnson-Green pairing dates back to 2003, having totalled 387 starts together, with 79 top-10s, 175 top-25s and only missed the cut in 67 of 387 events. Adding to that is two major titles and 10 other PGA Tour wins. 

“He’s probably had a Hall of Fame career and I had a front-row seat to it,” Green said. “It was great to watch.”

Asked if he will caddie again, 58-year-old Green said he’s 80 percent sure that he will.

“I’ve missed out on a lot of family things for 20 years,” he said. “I’m thankful I don’t have work again if I don’t want to.

“But there’s a part of me that loves caddying. I’d say it’s probably 80 percent I’ll caddie again. But it has to be the right situation.”

And while the split has come as a shock, the duo had recently hit headlines at last month’s Mayakoba Classic. Green was suffering with the heat and left the course after the front nine, leaving Matt Kuchar’s wife Sybi to step in.

“He hadn’t been feeling well the last few days,” Johnson had said at the time.

“I’m assuming he was dehydrated, but I don’t know. Matt saw Damon struggling, and I did, too. He didn’t look right. PGA Tour staff brought him in. I’d like to say it was the first time, but it’s happened like four times at Maui, Northern Trust at Bethpage, and a couple other places.”

The Caddie Network added that Johnson is expected to replace Green with former mini-tour companion Brett Waldman, who has been Charley Hoffman’s caddie.