The first caddie change of 2019 might end up being the most interesting of the year. Pernilla Lindberg’s fiancé, Daniel Taylor, will no longer caddie for his bride-to-be, and will instead carry the bag of Ariya Jutanugarn, the no. 1 player in the world.
It comes from a report by Golf Channel’s Randall Mell, in which Lindberg says, “It’s tough sometimes being a caddie and a player. It’s a lot of time to spend together.” According to the report, Lindberg’s new caddie will be Roy Clarke, who has caddied for multiple LPGA Tour winners.
The decision seems rooted in the amount of time spent together. Lindberg added: “At the end of the day, you have nothing to talk about it. I can’t ask Daniel, ‘What did you have for dinner last night?’”
Fair enough. Lindberg and Jutanugarn are the first two defending major champions for the 2019 LPGA Tour season. Lindberg won the ANA Inspiration last year in an epic playoff for her first career major, while Jutanugarn triumphed at the U.S. Women’s Open in another playoff thriller. It was Jutanugarn’s second major in a fruitful young career.
Players dating caddies on the LPGA Tour is not entirely uncommon. As GolfDigest’s undercover pro wrote in 2016, player/caddie relationships on that Tour are somewhat common, but they can also be the most stressful. “It was stressful having both of our fortunes tied up in how well I hit the golf ball,” the pro said at the time.
While the PGA Tour starts back up this week, the LPGA Tour begins its 2019 slate January 17.
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