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PGA Tour golfer Alejandro Tosti next to golf caddie
Golfers and caddies on the PGA Tour have a working relationship that is inevitably going to lead to some disagreements every now and then. They’re usually able to iron things out, but that was not the case with the competitor who got ghosted by his right-hand man in the middle of a round at the Biltmore Championship.
The sport of golf has a history that stretches back to the 1400s, and while the arrival of caddies is a bit murky, there’s historical evidence that suggests players were relying on assistants to help them navigate the links as early as the late 1600s.
The vast majority of casual golfers will never play a round with a caddie at their side, but they are a staple of exclusive country clubs as well as the professional tournaments where competitors rely on them to carry their bags and take advantage of their supplemental knowledge of the course.
Many PGA Tour players have a longstanding relationship with a caddie they’ve spent years building chemistry with, which can be easier said than done. Golfers are usually the people responsible for severing a relationship when things aren’t working out, but that was not the case with the unexpected divorce that unfolded at a tournament in North Carolina on Thursday.
Alejandro Tosti’s caddie quit on him in the middle of a round at the Biltmore Championship
This week, the PGA Tour descended upon Asheville, North Carolina for the first time since 1942 for the inaugural edition of The Biltmore Championship at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove.
132 players entered the first leg of the Fall Series, and most of them arrived in search of the points they need to automatically retain or earn their PGA Tour card next season by finishing in the Top 100 in the FedEx Cup rankings by the time the run of eight tournaments wraps up.
That includes Alejandro Tosti, who headed to the event with plenty of work to do while sitting in the 186th spot on the most recent list. The 30-year-old Argentinian started his opening round on Thursday with Cliff Ellis as his caddie, but that wasn’t the case by the time it wrapped up.
According to Golfweek, Tosti was in the middle of his ninth hole of the day when Ellis “dropped the bag, took off his caddie bib and walked off.” The “blindsided” golfer was under the impression he’d gone to use the bathroom, but he soon discovered that was not the case after Ellis failed to return for the remainder of the round.
Tosti and Ellis reportedly butted heads during a practice round on Tuesday, and the former has a reputation for being a bit difficult to work (and play) with due to a short temper he’s acknowledged has been an issue during his career.
He didn’t provide a concrete explanation when asked about the departure, joking his now-former caddie “couldn’t keep up with eight pars in a row.” We have also not gotten Ellis’ side of the story as of this writing, and it was unclear if Tosti (who shot +1 on the back nine and finished the day in a tie for 101st) had found a replacement ahead of his round on Friday afternoon.