Justin Thomas has been warned splitting from his coach, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, on the eve of the Masters may come back to bite him.
Iconic swing coach Butch Harman admitted he was shocked when hearing the news that Thomas and Mackay had parted ways after three years together. Mackay had been on Thomas' bag during the prime of his career, winning the 2022 PGA Championship and 2021 Ryder Cup.
Thomas has endured a tough start to the year, missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational and The Players Championship. And it seems that after tying for 64th place at the Valspar Championship, the 30-year-old decided it was time for a change.
On Wednesday April 3, just days before he was set to travel to Georgia, Thomas announced on social media he had parted ways with Mackay after three years. The announcement came as a surprise to many considering the timing, and the fact there had been nothing to suggest a split was coming.
Speaking to Mirror Sport, Harmon admitted he was taken aback by the news, and explained his belief that going into a major with a brand new caddy can never be good preparation. "I was shocked at that. Bones has caddied for JT for a few years now, two major championship wins, been with Phil Mickelson for 25 years, truly one of the best caddies in the game.
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"I talked to Bones last night through text, he didn't really let on on what happened or why it happened, so we've got to wait until one of them decides to let us know what the reason is.
Justin Thomas split from Jim 'Bones' Mackay last week in a surprising move (Getty Images)"I was very surprised this would happen the week before first major of the year, it's a very unusual thing, if there was going to be a split you'd think it would be the week after. To go into a major championship with a brand new caddy is kinda unheard of to be honest with you. I was just surprised - as most of us are - that it actually came down."
In his statement, Thomas paid tribute to Mackay and thanked him for all his work, suggesting there hadn't been a personal fall-out between them.
He wrote: "While incredibly difficult for me to say, Bones and I have parted ways. I'm going to be forever thankful for him joining me on the bag in 2021. The things we've been able to accomplish together - The PGA Championship in 2022, The Presidents Cup, The Ryder Cups were all unforgettable experiences.
Justin Thomas will go into The Masters at Augusta with a brand-new caddy - a move that surprised Butch Harmon (Getty Images)"His wisdom on and off the course has been a blessing during a tough stretch of my career and he was there every step of the way.
"I know there are great things coming for both of us down the road. I wish him the best of luck and will always count him and his family amongst my friends."
The Masters will be available on Sky Sports Golf and via a NOW subscription from 11th – 14th April, and you can follow all the latest news on Sky Sports social and digital channels throughout the week.
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