When it came time to broach the conversation of ‘putting a label’ on his newest relationship, Justin Thomas was confident he’d get an emphatic ‘yes.’ But asking the question was still nerve-wracking. In player-caddie relationships, after all, nobody wants to get rejected.
“To be honest, no, I didn’t [think the conversation would be tough],” Thomas told reporters Wednesday. “I know he had a great time when he caddied for me a couple years ago, and I shouldn’t say I didn’t think it would be real easy, but I didn’t feel like I was going to have to get on my hands and knees and beg.”
Of course, the recently-engaged Thomas is no stranger to asking big questions. But in this case he was referencing his role as one-half of golf’s hottest new high-profile player-caddie marriage. His partner, Bones Mackay, is one of the most decorated caddies ever, and he required a Thomas-sized offer to be coaxed out of retirement and his role as an on-course reporter with NBC.
“It would just be more of like a, ‘Hey, dude, I want you to,’ and I know he wants to, but at the end of the day every decision needs to be a little selfish,” Thomas said of his proposal. “If it made sense for him, then it would make sense for us and I’m glad that it did.”
Thomas and Mackay were a powerful duo from Mackay’s first loop — evidenced by their win in fill-in duty at the WGC FedEx-St. Jude Invitational back in 2020 — and in the early stages of 2022, their (now-official) relationship is reaching full bloom.
“It’s been great. It’s like a new relationship, you’re always wanting to do something to get it better,” Thomas said. “We’re talking quite often. Not as much anymore versus the first handful of events. What did I do this week that I could do better next week? What did I do that you didn’t like. Now we’re just getting comfortable enough where we’re just kind of go.”
But hey, this honeymoon phase hasn’t been without its frustrations. Thomas and Mackay recorded a top-10 finish in their first start of the year at the Tournament of Champions, but the wins haven’t come … yet. Both halves of this partnership are still learning the intracices of the other, and learning takes time.
Thomas himself is looking to shed a slump that carried him through the majority of 2022, including a winless streak dating back to last year’s Players Championship. With Bones on the bag, it would seem the question of the 6th-ranked player in the world’s next win is when rather than if.
“He knows my tendencies, I know his,” Thomas said. “He was with his old boss [Phil Mickelson] for a really long time and I was with Jimmy for a really long time and you get used to how the pro and the caddie act, just their mannerisms and stuff. We still have a long ways to go, but we’re getting more and more comfortable.”
