Tiger Woods has shared an amazing story about Joe LaCava and how his relationship with his former caddie started all the way back in the days before his first Masters appearance.
Tiger Woods made his major championship debut in 1995, appearing at Augusta; a course at which he would go on to win five green jackets during his career.
Of course, the world was not quite aware of what Woods would go on to achieve ahead of that appearance as an amateur 28 years ago. But clearly, he was being backed for a very bright future.
Tiger Woods says he’d do anything for Joe LaCava
Woods played a practice round with Fred Couples and Raymond Floyd two days before his Masters bow. And it was during that round that he was receiving plenty of encouragement from Couples’ caddie Joe LaCava – who 16 years later would end up on Woods’ bag.
And speaking on Fore Play Golf, Woods explained what LaCava’s actions that day meant to him.
“I go back to the original story with Joey. I played in my first Masters practice round with Raymond and Fred on Tuesday in 95. So I’m nervous, I’m not talking to these guys. They’re Masters champions, I’m just this little amateur, right. I’m 19 years old. I’m not saying anything,” he said.
“And Joey goes up, ‘hey, why don’t you talk to Fred about so and so, talk about this. And why don’t you ask Raymond about how to play this hole’. And Joey was urging me to do that. And then as we’re going up 18, ‘why don’t you talk to Fred about the US Open?’ ‘I don’t want to get in anyone’s way’. He says, ‘hold on’. And as we’re walking up 18, he walks up to Fred. And after we’re done, Fred goes, ‘what are you doing at Shinnecock on Tuesday’. I go, ‘I don’t know, Mr Couples. I just hope that I’m gonna be there’.
“’10 o clock, you, me, Raymond, we’ll play a practice round. This is pre-cell phones. So there’s no way of communicating, so I’ve just got to wait from April, May. Then June, I show up and hopefully they remember that they scheduled a practice round with this 19-year-old little kid at Shinnecock. And boom, they’re there.
“And that was when my relationship with Joey was cemented. So that’s why we’re so lockstep. I would do anything for him.”
Pair would enjoy incredible Augusta moment 24 years later
LaCava was famously at the centre of last year’s spat at the Ryder Cup involving Rory McIlroy. But the 69-year-old has had an incredible career, which started back in 1987.
The highlight may have perhaps come 32 years later when Woods, with LaCava on the bag, went on to win the Masters for his most recent major championship victory.
Of course, the pair are no longer working together, with LaCava now on Patrick Cantlay’s bag. But clearly, Woods will forever be grateful to LaCava for the influence he had on his career, starting all the way back in 1995.
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