It would be disingenuous to describe this week’s Joy of Six as a tribute to sport’s unsung troopers, because with one possible four-legged exception, most on this list are well known for their chosen roles, however absurd or indeterminate their particular duties may occasionally seem. Uncelebrated but arguably pivotal, it could be argued that they are the wind beneath the wings of more talented athletes in whose service they forged their careers, and few personify the label of trusted wingman more than Jim Mackay, the bag-man whose alliance with Phil Mickelson has endured for over 20 years, since the day the American golfer turned professional in 1992. Employee, friend, sidekick, confidant, voice of reason and adviser, the lanky guy they call Bones has caddied for Mickelson in all but one of his 41 career tournament wins. From the first time we’ve been together, I realised he was a great caddie, but over the years he’s become a lot more than that, Mickelson has said of his constant on-course companion.
A golf obsessive (he plays off 2) and college graduate who turned down a lucrative career as a financial analyst to lug other people’s bags around the golf course, Mackay saw caddying as a way of getting inside the tournament ropes and up close to the action. After successfully pleading for an opportunity to carry Larry Mize’s bag at the 1990 Bob Hope Classic, Mackay was hooked and began the 1992 season in the service of Scott Simpson, whose first instruction to the young Englishman (Mackay’s family moved to Florida when he was seven) was to take a better job in the event of being offered one. A few months later, Mackay did exactly that, after applying for, getting and impressing on a trial with the recent Arizona State graduate and big-hitting rookie professional Mickelson for US Open qualifying at Farmington Country Club in Memphis.
He didn’t play a practice round and I didn’t have a clue how far he hit anything, Mackay recalled in one interview. It didn’t take him long to find out. There was a big adjustment period for me, said Mackay. I’m thinking, oh my God this guy is incredible, I’ve got to get my act together here. He got his act together and the pair made quite a team. Bones has been so good at what he does, said Mickelson last year. On the caddie side, he’s always on time, he’s always where he needs to be, he’s protective of the clubs. He takes notes on every shot we hit on past courses so we have a reference point to go off based on temperature, how far the ball flew, what type of shot we were trying to hit. He takes incredible notes so we’re prepared for every golf course.
The vagaries of Sawgrass, Augusta and the like are not the only obstacles Mackay and Mickelson have had to overcome in a relationship that has resulted in the pair becoming best friends as well as employer and employee. Mackay married Jennifer Olsen, the best friend of Mickelson’s other half, Amy, in 2002 and the couple were a huge source of support when the golfer’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Last year he was more a friend than he was a caddie, Mickelson said of that traumatic period in his domestic life. Things are in a much better place now so I can go ahead and crack the whip more.
With only Fred Couples – the man who bestowed the nickname of Bones on Mackay when he was trying to attract the attention of the tall skinny guy whose name he couldn’t remember over 20 years ago – and his caddie, Joe LaCava, having worked together for longer in golf, it’s difficult to imagine anything other than Mickelson’s retirement leading to the dissolution of his professional association with Mackay. There’s something very special sitting here thinking about caddying for Phil at the Masters when we’re both quite old, Mackay said before the 2012 renewal of his favourite competition. This is a terrible thing to say, but it would be kind of cool walking up the 18th fairway and having a heart attack and getting carried out of there. That’s the way to go.
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