Zach Johnson and Damon Green, his caddie for the last 15 years and both of Johnson's major championship wins, have parted ways.
The Caddie Network was first to report the news, which quotes Green saying Johnson termed the split a "break" and not a "firing." Green considered the news a shock.
Johnson and Green have worked together since Johnson's rookie PGA Tour season in 2004. Green was on the bag for 11 of Johnson's 12 career PGA Tour wins to date. An accomplished player in his own right, Green, 58, was playing in the 2012 US Senior Open when Johnson won John Deere Classic the same week.
While working together, Johnson won nearly $45 million in official PGA Tour money.
Damon Green's chicken dance, where he flaps his arms as bird wings when Johnson makes big putts for birdie and eagle, has become his calling card.
Johnson is expected to hire Brett Waldman, according to The Caddie Network report. Waldman has been working with Charley Hoffman.
The 2018 calendar year was Johnson's worst since earning his PGA Tour card. Johnson had two top-10 finishes in 23 starts, but he didn't record a medal-stand finish on the season. He's now gone winless in his last three years and hasn't qualified for the season-ending Tour Championship in any of those years. Johnson signed with PXG in 2016 after winning the British Open in a playoff at St. Andrews in 2015.
Green doesn't have a new bag lined up, but pretty much any player could benefit from his capability. With his success in working with Johnson, Green is financially secure enough to pick his spot.
This is the latest split in a series of long-term player-caddie relationships coming to an end. Some of the big player-caddie splits in 2018 include:
- Lee Westwood and Billy Foster
- Henrik Stenson and Gareth Lord
- Martin Kaymer and Craig Connelly
- Brandt Snedeker and Scott Vail
