‘There’s Only One Tiger Woods’: Dustin Johnson Once Suffered a Major Snub, Per Ex-caddie’s Latest Revelation

Joe LaCava was having a nice ride with Dustin Johnson. Perhaps planning for the long run, when a phone call from Mark Steinberg changed the course of his career. Steinberg, as the Hall of Famer bagman recounts in the Quiet Please podcast, was the former agent of Tiger Woods.

It was 2011. Dustin Johnson was quickly rising through the ranks of the Tour. With five titles under his belt already, LaCava was content with his run with a rising star. However, when Woods came calling, the Hall of Famer caddie didn’t think twice because “there is only one Tiger Woods.”

Joe La Cava recounts the phone call that changed his life

How did he land the job, asked the podcast host. LaCava thinks his stint with Fred Couples, Woods’s ‘Dad on Tour’, came in handy. In fact, that might be the reason why the 48-year-old thought of LaCava first. Steinberg told the veteran caddie, “Tiger asked me to get a hold of you. We know you’ve worked for Fred for 20 years. So we know you a little bit.” 

Steinberg, obviously, made an offer LaCava couldn’t reject. The Newtown native chuckles: “I said, Yes, I’m interested. I mean, it’s Tiger Woods, how could I not be interested!” LaCava admits he had “a great gig going with Dustin… he was a great player,” and they had a brief but interesting ride, “but there’s only one Tiger Woods!”

And you don’t keep Mr.T hanging, right? Joe LaCava adds, “If I tell Tiger, you know, can you hang on and wait another couple of months? I don’t think he’s gonna go for that either.” The spell with the 15-time Major champion has worked stupefyingly well for both. The veteran caddie was on the bag for Tiger Woods in his last eleven titles, including his fifth Masters in 2019. 

However, LaCava has a new employer now. Actually, it was Tiger Woods who implored the veteran caddie to find a new partner. The 69-year-old recounts a conversation they had on the matter.

Is Tiger Woods going to retire soon?

The veteran caddie gets a little serious while talking about his last few months with Woods. The 82-time PGA Tour winner openly told LaCava that if he got a new opportunity, he should take it up. LaCava reveals it was something similar to what “Fred [Couples] did at the end of his career.”

Read More: Tiger Woods Proves That There Is No Love Lost Between Him and Infamous Ex-Caddie Joe LaCava as Heartfelt ‘Family’ Confession Emerges

The veteran golfer, battered by injuries and recovering from a life-threatening accident, understood that his playtime would be limited. The looper, although initially laughing off the suggestion, eventually agreed to caddie for Patrick Cantlay last year. Tiger Woods last month said that he was planning to tee up at least once a month going forward.  LaCava’s revelation raises the question: for how long?

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