Why did David Lipsky’s caddie Darren Woolard quit mid-tournament in Japan? Reason behind the split explained

A player-caddie partnership has come to an abrupt end after veteran caddie Darren Woolard reportedly walked away from David Lipsky midway through the Baycurrent Classic in Japan on Sunday.

Lipsky was forced to bring in another caddie to carry his bag for the tournament’s final round.

Why did David Lipsky and Darren Woolard part ways?

As reported by Golfweek, Woolard reportedly reached the end of his patience while working with Lipsky and decided to call it quits.

He allegedly told the golfer to arrange for another caddie to carry his bag during Sunday’s final round at Yokohama Country Club, situated roughly 20 miles south of Tokyo.

Woolard has considerable experience on the professional golf circuit, having previously worked with players such as Scott Piercy, Taylor Montgomery, K.H. Lee and the late Jarrod Lyle.

A PGA Tour official told Golfweek that Lipsky had a new caddie alongside him for Sunday’s final round. While the replacement’s identity remained unconfirmed, reports indicated that Lipsky may have turned to his trainer to fill the role.

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The incident marks the second month in a row that a player has been left without his original caddie before completing a tournament.

A similar situation unfolded at last month’s Biltmore Championship, when Alejandro Tosti’s caddie, Cliff Ellis, reportedly quit midway through the golfer’s first round. Ellis allegedly left the course after dropping the clubs, bringing their partnership to an unexpected end.

Lipsky’s struggles before the split

The reported fallout occurred as Lipsky endured a challenging week at the Baycurrent Classic. He made a strong start with a 66 in Thursday’s opening round but failed to sustain his form, carding a 72 followed by a 73 over the next two rounds. His third round ended on a sour note, as he bogeyed two of his final three holes.

Lipsky encountered further difficulties early on Sunday, recording four bogeys across his first five holes. Despite the rough start, he recovered over the remainder of the round to finish with a 1-under-par 70.

Lipsky’s season on the professional circuit

The 38-year-old Lipsky has claimed titles on multiple professional circuits, including the DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. In March, he also secured a runner-up finish behind Matt Fitzpatrick at the Valspar Championship.

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However, that second-place result remains his only top-10 finish this season. Before heading to Japan, Lipsky had missed the cut in six of his last 10 tournaments. He began the Baycurrent Classic sitting at No. 85 in the season-long standings.