One of the PGA Tour’s most successful partnerships has come to an end. Zach Johnson and his longtime caddie, Damon Green, have called it quits, according to a report from The Caddie Network.
The duo had worked together for 15 years and won a pair of major championships — the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship — along with nine other PGA Tour events.
“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. “I just think he didn’t want to say the word ‘fire.’ I was shocked.”
TCN EXCLUSIVE: After winning 11 @PGATOUR events together, including the 2007 @TheMasters and the 2015 @TheOpen at @TheHomeofGolf, @ZachJohnsonPGA and caddie Damon Green (@protourcaddy) have parted ways. @CraigDolch has the story. https://t.co/DL6knnk1Qz
— The Caddie Network (@CaddieNetwork) December 8, 2018
Unsurprisingly, the relationship was as lucrative as it was successful with Johnson notching 79 top-10s and 175 top-25s. Johnson only missed the cut in 67 of their 387 career starts together. Over the course of his career, Johnson has made $44.7 million, which ranks 11th all time.
“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.”
While Johnson is expected to hire Brett Waldman, a former mini-tour colleague and most recently, the caddie for Charley Hoffman, Green said he’s only 80% sure that he’ll caddie ever again, saying it would have to be the right situation.
Green, an experienced player in his own right, has won dozens of mini-tour events and come close on a few occassions to capturing a Tour card of his own. Recently, Green has competed in various PGA Tour Champions events, highlighted by a T13 finish at the 2011 U.S. Senior Open.
The looper said he’ll take some time to reassess his situation before moving forward with anything.
“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.”
