DeChambeau, caddie take time apart for ‘break’

DETROIT — Bryson DeChambeau and caddie Tim Tucker are taking a break, DeChambeau told ESPN’s Michael Collins on Thursday.

DeChambeau is playing in Detroit in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, and Tucker was on the bag for DeChambeau at the start of the week. DeChambeau told Collins that Tucker has not quit outright, but the two are going to take some time apart.

He did not specify how long the break would be, but Ben Schomin will caddie for DeChambeau the remainder of the tournament in Detroit. A search for a new caddie will begin after the tournament.

“They have gone their separate ways for now,” DeChambeau’s agent, Brett Falkoff, told ESPN’s Bob Harig. “That doesn’t mean forever, but it means they are not working together now. They met last night and decided to move on. It’s just an accumulation of things, and it’s never easy when a player and caddie split up. They just decided the best situation for now was essentially to not be together anymore.”

Tucker and DeChambeau have had this situation happen before, when Tucker quit in 2017, though the two reunited in 2018.

Brooks Koepka, who has been engaged in a rivalry with DeChambeau, didn’t let Thursday’s news go by without comment. Koepka tweeted a shoutout to his caddie, Ricky Elliott, writing, “Couldn’t do it without my guy Rick!”

Couldn’t do it without my guy Rick! Best friend and greatest caddie to do it💯 @RickyElliott appreciation day! pic.twitter.com/cNvD2VX8Nh

— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) July 1, 2021

DeChambeau is the returning champion at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and has yet to start his first round this week.