[PHOTO: Andrew Redington]
How many tournaments will Tiger Woods play in 2024? That’s among the big questions surrounding the 15-time major winner at this week’s Genesis Invitational as he makes his first official PGA Tour start since withdrawing from the Masters last April then having ankle fusion surgery. Not far behind, however, is the curiosity regarding who might be Woods’ caddie when he does play this season.
With Joe LaCava no longer an option – after being on Woods’ bag since late 2011, the veteran looper was given Tiger’s blessing to work full-time for Patrick Cantlay last May – Woods appears ready to use a caddie-by-committee system in the short run. On Monday, Golfweek reported that Lance Bennett, another veteran who has worked for Bill Haas, Zach Johnson and most notably Matt Kuchar when he won the 2012 Players Championship, will be on Tiger’s bag this week at Riviera Country Club.
Recently, Bennett has worked for Sungjae Im and Davis Riley, and this year he picked up the bag of promising tour rookie Adrian Dumont de Chassart. Both Woods and Dumont de Chassart are represented by Excel Sports. With the recent Korn Ferry Tour graduate not qualified for the field at this PGA Tour signature event, Bennett was available for work. Depending how the pair mesh, Bennett could be used at other events Tiger is expected to try and play in the northern spring, including the Players Championship and Masters.
In addition to his work on the PGA Tour, Bennett has also looped for LPGA Hall of Famers Juli Inkster and Lorena Ochoa.
Another option down the road for Woods is using his business partner at TGR Ventures, Rob McNamara, who caddied for Tiger when he made his competitive return last December at the Hero World Challenge. Woods finished 18th that week in the 20-player field. McNamara gave way for Sam Woods, Tiger’s daughter, to caddie when Tiger and Charlie Woods teamed at the PNC Championship in December.
It’s highly unlikely Sam would caddie in a PGA Tour event, but one more possibility that could break the internet if it were to happen is having Charlie, 14, repay dad for the caddieing he has done in junior events and carry the bag for his old man in a tournament.
