PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Has Lydia Ko finally found her caddie?
Greg Johnston is on Ko’s bag for a fifth consecutive start this week, longer than any caddie she has worked with as a pro. She has tried them by the bunches as an amateur and a pro, including borrowing Mike “Fluff” Cowan from Jim Furyk for a week at the U.S. Women’s Open, in her search to find the right fit.
Johnston is a veteran who has toted for some of the game’s best players, including Juli Inkster, Lorena Ochoa, Suzann Pettersen, Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson. The Kos hired Johnston for a three-week tryout at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship in late June. After they tied for second there as a team, the Kos asked Johnston to stay on for the rest of the year. In their third start together, Ko won the Marathon Classic.
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“It’s been working really good,” Ko said. “I feel comfortable having him.”
Ko was asked if she prefers using a variety of caddies.
“I’d really like to have one caddie for nine or 10 years,” Ko said. “I’ve been just trying them. Before each guy, I said why don’t we have a three- or four-week trial and kind of go from there. Hopefully, I’ll be able to stay with one caddie for a long time.”
What is she looking for in a caddie?
“I don’t really have that fire in me,” Ko said. “My mom and I feel I need someone who can be a little humorous, and who can kind of have that fire for me.”