JT and Bones breaking up

[Llortamaisey]

Slipping on pine straw carrying a bag is heck on the knees. I know from experience. 

[NV825]

Bones already received a text from Cam Young that he's on-deck.

[Ronnie Mundt]

Have you heard the therapy sessions JT needs on the tee box before he hits a shot? Holy hell I’d want out too, especially if you need to do all of that and JT had the year he had last year.

 

Thomas to me seems like the perfect example of a guy that needs to just go play golf. He’s wildly technical and rigid. He’s got all the shots but it seems like he overthinks it. Just because you can hit that shot doesn’t mean you should. Oh and the putting woes. I mean Bones doesn’t need that crap. He’s great on the broadcasts.

[noubrat]

Full Swing had the interviews lined up weeks ago

[WorkItBothWays]

Only surprised that this didn't happen sooner.

 

Also it baffles me that anyone could think that Bones is even remotely a good fit for Rory. 

[Golfinfloridaafter40]

2 hours ago, WorkItBothWays said:

Only surprised that this didn't happen sooner.

 

Also it baffles me that anyone could think that Bones is even remotely a good fit for Rory. 

Baffles me that anyone thinks Rory is a good fit for Bones.

[Ferguson]

12 hours ago, ebrasmus21 said:

Marital problems within some kind of a weird love-rectangle? 

 

It's geometric for sure.   The personal life math alone could take weeks.  

 

[dekez]

6 hours ago, Ronnie Mundt said:

Have you heard the therapy sessions JT needs on the tee box before he hits a shot? Holy hell I’d want out too, especially if you need to do all of that and JT had the year he had last year.

 

Thomas to me seems like the perfect example of a guy that needs to just go play golf. He’s wildly technical and rigid. He’s got all the shots but it seems like he overthinks it. Just because you can hit that shot doesn’t mean you should. Oh and the putting woes. I mean Bones doesn’t need that crap. He’s great on the broadcasts.

 

There's an article on SI or Golf that points out that JT's putting is miles worse than even Scheffler's was when he was struggling.

[chillybilly]

I have always wondered if JT wasn't a bit of an Icarus figure.

 

Obviously talented, obviously major-winning caliber player but, as many wondered about Tiger Woods and others, what are the long-term ramifications of swinging so damned hard?

 

I get fitness, swing technique/training, club technology etc. but the expectations - starting with his own - that someone of that physical size can continue to come out of his shoes albeit in controlled (?) fashion always seemed uncertain even questionable.

 

He's hardly the first to sack his caddie and, by implication, assign him some blame for poor form/results and he won't be the last but, as others have suggested, is this merely a waypoint in his overall decline?

[Ferguson]

28 minutes ago, dekez said:

 

There's an article on SI or Golf that points out that JT's putting is miles worse than even Scheffler's was when he was struggling.

 

I need a link to that article, please.

 

     

[Ferguson]

27 minutes ago, chillybilly said:

I have always wondered if JT wasn't a bit of an Icarus figure.

 

Obviously talented, obviously major-winning caliber player but, as many wondered about Tiger Woods and others, what are the long-term ramifications of swinging so damned hard?

 

I get fitness, swing technique/training, club technology etc. but the expectations - starting with his own - that someone of that physical size can continue to come out of his shoes albeit in controlled (?) fashion always seemed uncertain even questionable.

 

He's hardly the first to sack his caddie and, by implication, assign him some blame for poor form/results and he won't be the last but, as others have suggested, is this merely a waypoint in his overall decline?

 

 

Are you saying he could have an undescended testicle? 

[Hawkeye77]

5 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

 

Are you saying he could have an undescended testicle? 

I heard Tiger calls him "Ace".

[EagleAteBirdie]

Bones grew tired of the shoulder shrugging.

[snagy2000]

52 minutes ago, chillybilly said:

I have always wondered if JT wasn't a bit of an Icarus figure.

 

Obviously talented, obviously major-winning caliber player but, as many wondered about Tiger Woods and others, what are the long-term ramifications of swinging so damned hard?

 

I get fitness, swing technique/training, club technology etc. but the expectations - starting with his own - that someone of that physical size can continue to come out of his shoes albeit in controlled (?) fashion always seemed uncertain even questionable.

 

He's hardly the first to sack his caddie and, by implication, assign him some blame for poor form/results and he won't be the last but, as others have suggested, is this merely a waypoint in his overall decline?

His struggles started with his last caddy, Bones was suppose to be the fix. He needs to look inward now and accept it's him.

[idrive]

I mentioned that this was not a good fit for JT a few months back. 

 

This pairing ran it's course right after the major victory.

 

I have all the respect in the world for bones but for JT:

 

Bones talks too much.

[alittleoverpar]

Unless he caddies for Taylor Gooch, his career will need an asterisk.  🫤

[JamesFisher1990]

18 hours ago, kmbean said:

JT’s bag will be in high demand.

 

Rory should go next.  When is he going to wake up and realize he is at a competitive disadvantage with his buddy on the bag.  I’d love to see him pair up with a world class green reader.  The sands of time are starting to tick a little faster now.

I just came to say your avatar is hilarious

[WorkItBothWays]

6 hours ago, Golfinfloridaafter40 said:

Baffles me that anyone thinks Rory is a good fit for Bones.

Of course it baffles you. Anyone that describes a caddy as a talent would get confused that it doesn't work like that. The player is the one with the talent and in Rory's case supreme talent.

[Golfinfloridaafter40]

3 minutes ago, WorkItBothWays said:

Of course it baffles you. Anyone that describes a caddy as a talent would get confused that it doesn't work like that. The player is the one with the talent and in Rory's case supreme talent.

If that was the case, he would be winning or at least be top 10 a lot more often than he is.  At this point Rory is a waste of talent more so than a supreme talent as you suggest. Of course you have to have supreme talent to be a waste so I guess you have a point.

 

However, if you think the caddie doesn't matter or has little value, than you do not have a very good understanding of competitive golf at the top level

[80sFredriksson]

21 hours ago, Cwebb said:

 

It would be interesting to see some of these guys go back to playing golf on their own, with no discussion with a caddy about play on the course

Well take a look at Rory 😁 

[Ethan DelGrosso]

Caddies honestly seem like a pretty big placebo effect. Yes they serve a very important role. However, at times its seems more about the confidence players get from saying “I’ve got Bones on the bag”. That name brand type boost. Same to how I’d feel better about a cold getting better using a name brand medicine than the CVS version even if they’re really the same. I agree with the sentiment that players know how to play golf and if Justin Thomas has a number he needs to just hit the number and not overthink it. Even if bones has that placebo affect, if they argue over every shot and JT isn’t really enjoying it than he’s no better for it.

[Rapidcat]

Why would Bones waste his talents with a quickly becoming has-been in JT?

 

He needs to help someone who is in their career ascendency and his skill-set and personality meshes with.

[Ferguson]

7 minutes ago, Rapidcat said:

Why would Bones waste his talents with a quickly becoming has-been in JT?

 

He needs to help someone who is in their career ascendency and his skill-set and personality meshes with.

 

I agree with misalignment of personality, age and skill-set comments, but this decision started in the Thomas camp and was communicated to Bones.   Ferguson thinks Mike Thomas never fully supported the Bones decision.   

 

 

 

[kwcsports]

Bones will get a new bag quickly IMHO if he wants it. 

[m d g]

20 hours ago, woahnelly said:

Bones should caddie for Lexi Thompson. She lost last week because she tried to drive the par 4 16th and hit in the water when tied for lead. 😭

 

Yes. I'm sure he's just dying to make $ 30,000/year...

[snagy2000]

41 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

I agree with misalignment of personality, age and skill-set comments, but this decision started in the Thomas camp and was communicated to Bones.   Ferguson thinks Mike Thomas never fully supported the Bones decision.   

 

 

 

Classic case of....

 

[Ferguson]

16 minutes ago, m d g said:

 

Yes. I'm sure he's just dying to make $ 30,000/year...

 

ouch. 

 

 

[StoutKing]

10 hours ago, Golfinfloridaafter40 said:

Baffles me that anyone thinks Rory is a good fit for Bones.

Rory has zero majors in 11 years.  Switching to a successful caddie will not result in fewer majors, and majors are really the only thing that matters at this point in his career.

[elwhippy]

Rory needs to hire Bones. 

[PeterJP]

There's that old saying that tournament golf at the highest level is 90% mental. But I'd say that maybe it's actually 90% 'character' (and whatever combination of ego / will / discipline / upbringing / environment / ambition / soul-spirit / humility / needs / underlying belief-systems / desire / choice-making etc describes and comprises that). In terms of sheer talent, I don't think I've ever seen more purely and/or naturally talented professional golfers than Greg Norman and John Daly -- but both ended up with 'only' two majors, the former (subtly) self-sabotaging and/or unlucky on the golf course, but otherwise presenting as a confident and healthy-minded and highly successful individual in life, the latter (overtly) self-defeating on the golf course, and otherwise presenting as rambunctiously addicted (gambling, drinking etc) and happily self-destructive in life. 

All of which is to say: I think when it comes to major championship wins, it 'all comes out in the wash'.  There has to be top-flight talent in order to win more than one, that's for sure -- but there's also a certain character required. I don't know the first thing about JT or his 'character' or his inner life (nor about Rory's etc.). He certainly seems outwardly more in the healthy-minded camp, but if he's got 'only' 2 majors, well, maybe that's precisely how many he 'should' have -- and I don't think his choice of caddy will have much impact one way or another. 

 

Edited April 4 by PeterJP