Who Is the Prodigy Tom Kim’s Caddie? Meet the Veteran Who Was Behind Rickie Fowlers’ Bag Too

Joo-Hyung (Tom) Kim is no less than a prodigy on the PGA Tour. The Korean professional, guided by his father, has been invested in the game of golf from a very young age. This passion that was ignited quite early in Kim allowed him to experience numerous wins. After turning professional in the summer of 2018 on the Philippine Golf Tour, his golf ecosystem was initially restricted to the Asian Development Tour.

However, thanks to one of the qualifying events, soon the professional was able to make his first golf major entry at the 2020 Open Championship. Although, the official card for the PGA Tour was earned by the golfer in 2022-2023. From then on, the golf world knew that they were looking at a remarkable golf talent. The magnificent win at the Wyndham Championship just provided proof of the same. In view of this fact, the golfer was able to qualify for the International team at the 2022 Presidents Cup.

But, probably, the prime highlight of this tournament was the veteran caddie who stood by Kim’s side. After parting ways from a thirteen-year caddie-golfer relationship with Rickie Fowler, it was a fresh start for Joe Skovron as well. Since their pairing in 2022, the two have together faced numerous golf tournaments.

Who is Joe Skovron?

Joe Skovron is a Californian native who was raised in Murrieta. Before turning into a professional caddie, he played golf for the University of La Verne. Boosting an excellent resume, Skovron has also been a college golf coach. He is one of the senior caddies on the PGA Tour who is currently on the bag for the young Tom Kim.

Kim was not the first player who had Skovron as his caddie. The veteran initially assisted Rickie Fowler on the field. Despite a respectful long-term partnership between Fowler and Skovron, due to some unknown reasons, the pair went their separate ways after thirteen professional years. This meant that Joe Skovron was available to caddie for other golfers. Thus, it was not a surprise for the caddie to accept the role when he was approached by Kim’s agent.

Together the duo has performed relatively well on the greens. Tom Kim was not only able to win the Shriners Children’s Open on the PGA Tour, but also displayed some impressive shots at the 2023 Masters. Currently, as the two professionals are in LA, the golf world is witnessing the rise of this PGA Tour star.

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And the credit alone cannot be given to the golfer. His experienced caddie also had a hand in the surprising yet phenomenal stroke play on the greens at LACC. Kim moves to the finale of the game at a promising T9 position which has been one of the best major scores for the professional. But, even more, interesting than the gameplay is the conversation between the two on the fields.

The comfortable relationship between Tom Kim and his veteran caddie

From the start of the professional relationship between the Korean professional and the American caddie, the atmosphere surrounding the two has always appeared to be comfortable. Even when Joe Skovron had just kicked off caddying for the 20-year-old, the media commented on how easygoing the flow of conversation between the two appeared.

The exchange of words during one of the rounds at the US Open just validates the same. A talk over whether to choose a 2-iron or a 3-iron, provided a glimpse of a trustworthy partnership between the two professionals. While Kim wanted to go for the 3-iron, on the advice of his experienced caddie, he finally selected a 2-iron.

Maybe it was the certainty in Skovron’s voice that provided Kim with the selection confidence. After all, the caddie said that if anything goes wrong, he was ready to take the blame. But, the brilliant drive proved Skovron’s advice to be right and the Korean golfer appreciated his input. “Good call, Joe. Great call,” Kim exclaimed.

Joe’s experience has allowed Kim to learn and grow in the game. Before him, Jacob Fleck was on the bag for the Korean star. However, the two did not continue their partnership for long. Irrespective of this, the alliance between Kim and Skovron has tasted quite a success, especially in the majors. In accordance with this, it seems that the partnership may carry on for the time being.

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