When Collin Morikawa joined hands with Joe Greiner in May, he said, “We’ve already talked numerous times on how we’re going to get started.” And their partnership sounded promising, if you keep in mind a couple of things: they were fellow Cal Bears, had been frequent practice round playing partners for years, and had even played together in team events. However, despite their history, the Collin Morikawa-Joe Greiner experiment was done and dusted ahead of the 2025 Rocket Classic.
As per the latest update, Collin Morikawa parted ways with caddie Joe Greiner just ahead of the Rocket Classic. For this week’s tournament, he will team up with former college teammate KK Limbhasut, who will serve as his temporary caddie. This marks Morikawa’s second caddie switch in a short span, following the end of his five-year partnership with JJ Jakovac in late April.
So, what’s the reason? If you’re asking Collin Morikawa, the answer is likely to be a little political. After Wednesday’s pro-am, Morikawa said of this recent development, “I think people, they’re going to be surprised, but the way I put it is just because two people are great at what they do doesn’t mean they’re going to be great together.” Morikawa continued, “I think Joe is an amazing caddie… we were just a little bit on a different page. That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong, but for me, it just didn’t feel right. I have to explore other options.”
Collin Morikawa on split with Joe Greiner:
“I think Joe is an amazing caddie… we were just a little bit on a different page. That doesn’t mean it’s right or wrong, but for me it just didn’t feel right. I have to explore other options.”
— Underdog Golf (@UnderdogGolf) June 25, 2025
Collin Morikawa‘s comments make sense when considering the stats. His brief partnership with Greiner included five tournaments, yielding disappointing results, such as a T50 at the PGA Championship and a T42 at the Travelers Championship. Although he made all five cuts with Greiner, he finished no better than T-17. He started strong at the Truist and the Memorial, but struggled over the weekend.
And then there are other stats: He currently ranks in the top 10 on the PGA TOUR in nearly every major Strokes Gained category, except for Putting, where he is in 109th place. It’s unclear if the ongoing changes in his caddie situation are contributing to his struggles with putting. Golf fans, however, are not impressed with his carousel.
Golf fans are ready to dissect the latest Collin Morikawa caddie split
Frequent caddie changes can adversely affect a golfer’s performance by disrupting established routines and removing a consistent, experienced partner. Although some golfers might find a change beneficial, many tend to see a decline in performance when moving away from a long-term caddie.
Keeping that in mind, one fan couldn’t help but take a dig at Collin Morikawa himself, saying, “He will be on a different page with every caddie he uses. What happens when you suffer from “nobody in the world is as smart or talented as me” syndrome.” At the same time, another said, “At this point guys are going to start using a pull cart.” And of course, a frequent change in caddies is likely to affect Morikawa’s game in the long run. For instance, reading greens is a key collaborative element in the player-caddie relationship, and the 28-year-old’s changing caddies might disrupt that synergy. So, what’s next for Morikawa then, with The Open just a few weeks away?
Two fans took a stance against Morikawa and said, “Is Collin a Diva? Kinda sounds like it,” while the other said, “Has Collin Morikawa ever thought that the problem might be Collin Morikawa?” He may not have yet, but it is likely that a lack of winning is frustrating the highest-ranked player at the 2025 Rocket Classic. He is still in search of his first win of the 2025 season, with his most recent victory at the Baycurrent Classic in October 2023. To top that, he has had 2 runner-up finishes, 3 Top 10 and 9 Top 25 finishes in the season so far. So, the frustration is likely getting to him.
Golf Digest writer, Christopher Powers, pointed out the frequent change of caddies on the Tour and said, “lot of re-coupling going on these days.” Greiner previously caddied for Max Homa and briefly for Justin Thomas. Meanwhile, Morikawa’s former caddie, JJ Jakovac, now works with Michael Thorbjornsen, who had Lance Bennett before. Bennett is now with Homa.
Seriously, what’s going on at the Tour? But an even more important question: can a change of caddie really improve your game? Who do you think is right in this situation? Let us know!
The post Collin Morikawa’s Caddie Shakeup Triggers Golf’s Toxic Debate Just Before the Rocket Classic appeared first on EssentiallySports.