'It Was The Toughest Decision I've Had To Make In My Golf Career - Zalatoris Splits With Caddie

Sackings within golf are not uncommon, with individuals looking for any way they can to improve their game. Whether it is a new coach, or new bagman, players will look for ways to find that extra 1%.

Will Zalatoris is regarded as a future star in the game, with the 25-year-old racking up superb results in Major and PGA Tour events. However, on Friday evening, Zalatoris split with long time caddie, Ryan Goble, stating it's "the toughest decision he's had to make".

"Ryan's a brother for life," stated Zalatoris. "We've kind of had a rough month together and it was starting to affect our relationship. I know guys say that when they split, but it really was. We were guys that would love to have dinner together and hang out and it started -- what was going on on the course was starting bleed off the course and that's not what you want. 

"He's an incredible friend, I love him to death and I told him I had to do what's best for me. Like I said, he's just an amazing friend. You know, obviously you can tell how hard this decision was on me, especially the timing of it, but I think it was just getting a little unhealthy for both of us and it was -- obviously it hurts. 

"But going forward, I'll have Joel Stock on the bag through the Playoffs and pretty much going forward from there. But as you mentioned about Josh, it was great having him read the lies out of the rough. I've got to give him credit for the hole-out on 11 and keeping me in the round today especially after kind of a rough start."

The pair had been working together for three years, with Goble on the bag for Zalatoris throughout the early years of the Korn Ferry Tour. Debuting for the American in July 2019, Goble helped his boss to the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year honours in 2020-21, with Zalatoris securing multiple top 5 finishes in Major Championships.

Eagling two holes on Friday to make the cut, the two were obviously close, with Zalatoris revealing they hugged it out after the conversation: "He's basically been my best friend for the last three years. He was my only caddie I had on any sanctioned Tour, on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, and so, like I said, it's the toughest decision I've had to make in my golf career and I had to do what I think is best going forward. Like I said, nothing's permanent and we'll kind of see how everything goes from here."