Who is Patrick Cantlay’s caddie? Meet Joe LaCava

Patrick Cantlay is teamed up with one of golf’s most recognisable caddies.

Cantlay, who competed in the Ryder Cup for the second time in 2023, has Joe LaCava caddie for him.

LaCava joined forces with Cantlay at the Wells Fargo Championship in May of 2023, and the pair have been synonymous with one another since.

Meanwhile, LaCava is famous for working with the most known face in professional golf, Tiger Woods.

And right after getting the offer from Cantlay, LaCava called Woods – who said: “You’d be crazy not to take the job. Go for it. Go wins some tournaments and have a great time.”

In recent years, the caddie has worked with Nelly Korda, while he also has previous experience with players such as Freddie Couples and Dustin Johnson.

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Who is Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava?

Cantlay’s caddie was born in Newtown, Connecticut in 1955. He is married to Megan LaCava and has two children, Joe Jr and Lauren.

LaCava, who is a member of the Caddie Hall of Fame, started his caddying career back in 1987, when he was on the bag for his cousin Ken Green. Three years after first caddying, he started on the bag of Masters champion Freddie Couples.

Cantlay’s caddie was on the bag for Couples’ most famous win, his victory at the 1992 Masters at Augusta National. Meanwhile, he teamed up with Davis Love III and Justin Leonard in a long career on the PGA Tour.

It was in 2011 when Tiger Woods made the call to LaCava to take over his bag, after splitting with long-term looper Steve Williams. Most famously, LaCava was then looping for Woods at his victory in the 2019 Masters tournament.

However, when Woods stopped playing due to injury, LaCava took on other caddying jobs. Now, he is settled on the bag of Patrick Cantlay.

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Nowadays, thanks largely to his time with Tiger Woods, LaCava is one of the most recognisable faces in the world of caddying. He’s also known for his attention to detail and it’s fair to say he’s seen everything there is to see on a golf course.

If not for his caddying, LaCava is certainly a recognised face due to his part in the bust up at Rome, midway through the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Cantlay’s caddie LaCava made headlines after an altercation with Rory McIlroy on the 18th green at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club. The ugly scenes spilled into the car park shortly after.

In an interview with the Irish Independent, McIlroy later said: “LaCava used to be a nice guy when he was caddying for Tiger [Woods] and now he’s caddying for that d**k [Cantlay], he’s turned into an a*s.”

LaCava got a reunion with Tiger Woods at the 2024 Open, when Cantlay was grouped with the 15-time major champion at Royal Troon.