Jim 'Bones' Mackay to caddie full-time for Justin Thomas
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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 03: Jim 'Bones' Mackay, caddie for Justin Thomas, walks the third hole during a practice round prior to the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 03, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Justin Thomas will have a new caddie on the bag, but it will be a familiar face.
Jim “Bones” Mackay, the longtime looper for Phil Mickelson who also has made cameos carrying Thomas’ bag, will now be the full-time caddie for the former FedExCup champion.
“It came out of left field very recently. I have just tremendous respect for (Thomas) as a person and a player.” Mackay told Golf Channel on Thursday. “It was an incredible phone call to get and I said yes.”
McKay was Mickelson’s caddie for a quarter-century before becoming an on-course commentator for NBC Sports/Golf Channel four years ago.
"Jimmy and I had an incredible run of six years together but we have agreed to go our separate ways," Thomas wrote on Twitter. "I 100% did not fire him, as Jimmy came to me after the Ryder Cup and told me he has decided to pursue other opportunities."
Mackay stepped in for Thomas’ previous caddie, Jimmy Johnson, a handful of times in the past, including the 2018 Sony Open in Hawaii and Thomas’ win at the 2020 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Johnson, who was on Thomas’ bag since his rookie season of 2015, was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame earlier this year.
Mackay will continue to work as an on-course commentator when he is available, including next week’s Shriners Children’s Open.
“I love to caddie and I loved my role with NBC/Golf Channel," Mackay said. "But it’s Justin Thomas.”