The Masters tournament has seen its fair share of dramatic caddie switches over the years. From Steve Williams’s split with Tiger Woods to Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay ending his partnership with Phil Mickelson, caddie changes can signal major career shifts. Now, another significant caddie switch has rocked the golf world just days before golf’s most prestigious tournament begins at Augusta National. Max Homa and Joe Greiner have parted ways after being together for 6 years, shocking the golf world. Recently, Homa revealed that the split wasn’t his decision. 

“It was not my choice so it sucked,” Homa admitted candidly about the split. The timing couldn’t be worse for the struggling golfer. He hasn’t made a cut in a tournament with a 36-hole cut since last year’s Open Championship. What was most shocking about the split was their history. The duo has been friends since their childhood roots. Both grew up playing together at Vista Valencia Golf Course outside Los Angeles. Greiner began working for Homa back in 2013 after Homa turned professional. They briefly split before reuniting in 2019, which marked the beginning of Homa’s true success on tour.

Together, they’ve navigated the extreme ups and downs of Homa’s career. The pair celebrated six PGA Tour victories together, including the 2021 Genesis Invitational at Riviera. They’ve also represented Team USA at both the 2022 and 2024 Presidents Cups and the 2023 Ryder Cup. This run of success followed Homa twice losing his Tour card and having to regain it through the Korn Ferry Tour.

Homa emphasized their friendship remained the priority despite the professional breakup. “We always had a deal that we’re friends first and friendship mattered more than the work thing,” he explained. The golfer showed remarkable maturity in his response to the situation. He even expressed gratitude to Greiner in an official PGA Tour statement, saying, “Joe and I made memories for a lifetime and can’t be more thankful for all the hard work.”

“It sucks because I just pictured always walking fairways with Joe,” Homa reflected with evident emotion during his Tuesday press conference at Augusta. His perspective shows remarkable clarity during a difficult time. “I would rather walk life with Joe forever than this dumb game,” he added. With such a heartfelt relationship between the two, Greiner’s latest move comes as a shock! 

It has been reported that Homa’s former bagman has immediately moved to Justin Thomas‘s bag for the Masters. Thomas needed a replacement after his regular caddie, Matt “Rev” Minister, suffered a back injury right before the tournament.

Thomas, meanwhile, quickly scooped up the experienced caddie. He announced the temporary arrangement on Instagram Tuesday night. “Unfortunately, my caddie Rev hurt his back this week and isn’t able to be on the bag with me this week at Augusta,” Thomas explained. Confirming the speculations, JT wrote, “Rev is resting up, so he gets better. I’m very lucky Joe Greiner is a great friend and be able to help me out last minute. Thanks everybody!” 

As the speculations rose, fans took to social media to give their creative comments on this unexpected change.

Fans react strongly to the unexpected caddie shuffle

One particularly harsh comment referenced Homa’s recent struggles on the Tour. “Well he bailed off that sinking ship. Good for him and Homa is turning into a first class Jagoff,” wrote one unsympathetic fan. This comment reflects Homa’s dramatic fall to 81st in the world rankings after missing five straight cuts this season.

Another fan simply noted the professional decision without emotional judgment. “It appears Justin Thomas’s caddie this week will be Joe Greiner, who chose to remove himself from Max Homa’s bag last week,” they observed. This factual observation highlights the unusual player-initiated nature of the split that Homa himself confirmed.

Some reactions aimed at Homa’s dramatic decline in performance. “Poor Max, he became a living, breathing Lululemon wearing soyboy,” wrote one particularly cruel commenter. This harsh criticism comes amid Homa’s alarming statistics – missing the cut in five of his eight tournaments in 2025, including high-profile events like the WM Phoenix Open, Genesis Invitational, and THE PLAYERS Championship. His approach play has been particularly disastrous, ranking 185th in Strokes Gained: Approach at -1.460, while his putting stats show him at 145th with -0.298 strokes gained. His world ranking has plummeted to 81st after being as high as 10th in April 2024.

Others focused on the direct financial implications for caddies. “A man’s gotta get paid!” pointed out one pragmatic fan. This perspective highlights the harsh economic reality for caddies, who typically earn 5-10% of a player’s winnings. With Homa not being able to make cut and earning just $163,333 at The Sentry (his only top-50 finish), Greiner’s income has likely suffered dramatically. Meanwhile, Thomas has recorded four top-10 finishes, including two runner-ups, offering significantly more lucrative paydays for his caddie.

Questions about the timing also emerged given the Masters’ imminent start. “Feel like we would’ve already seen him on site this week if so. Him not showing up until Wednesday would be weird,” noted one skeptical fan. This highlights the unusual last-minute nature of the caddie change announced just two days before Thursday’s opening round.

The Masters begins Thursday with both players facing different challenges. Will Greiner’s presence help Thomas contend for his third major? Or can Homa overcome this latest setback and rediscover his form? Only time will tell.