Lydia Ko Sacks Caddie...Again

The 19-year-old world number one has sacked her caddie just six months after firing her previous bagman

Lydia Ko Sacks Caddie
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The 19-year-old world number one has sacked her caddie just six months after firing her previous bagman

Lydia Ko Sacks Caddie...Again

World number one Lydia Ko has sacked her South African caddie Gary Matthews just nine events and six months into their partnership.

Ko, who went throughs seven caddies in her rookie year, is now on the lookout for her 10th bagman.

Related: Lydia Ko wins Olympic Silver Medal

The two-time major winner shot rounds of 65 and 64 on the weekend at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii to finish second, but that was not enough for Matthews to keep his job.

He now has a trial with Ko's fellow LPGA Tour star - world number 19 Minjee Lee.

The Kiwi's game underwent major changes last year after she changed clubs from Callaway to PXG and sacked her caddie Jason Hamilton in October, who caddied for her in 10 of her 14 victories.

Lydia Ko sacks caddie

Lydia Ko after winning Silver for New Zealand at the 2016 Rio Olympics. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

She also parted ways with her coach David Leadbetter in December, who had strong words to say about her and her family's role in her career.

Related: My day as a European Tour caddie

Leadbetter said, “They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice. And they expect her to win every tournament.

"They are good people, who love their daughter and want the very best for her. But they are naive about golf. And at some point, they’ve got to let the bird fly from the nest. I would often think, ‘It’s not easy coaching three people.’ ”

Related: Lydia Ko becomes youngest major winner

Gary Matthews, who has previously caddied for Sergio Garcia, Anthony Kim, Trevor Immelman and Camillo Villegas, told Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte: "In all honesty, there is no communication in the whole camp. You never know anything or are told anything.

"The agent called me on the Monday after Palm Springs and said, 'She needed a change, we’re going with somebody else."

Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV