DJ Okay with Losing Caddie


Dustin Johnson is over in Scotland for this week's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. The lanky, long-hitting South Carolinian is playing his first tournament in the past few months without his caddie, Joe LaCava, who left Johnson earlier this week to go to work for Tiger Woods.

LaCava took over Johnson's bag after getting the go-ahead from his long-time boss, Fred Couples, who had reduced his schedule due to a chronically bad back.

Now working for Johnson is Keith Sbarbaro, vice president of his club maker, TaylorMade, who will be his looper for the remainder of the year. Sbarbaro has already caddied for Johnson in tournaments in South Korea and Germany this year. "He's a real good buddy of mine," Johnson said.

Johnson also noted that he talked to Woods and has no problems with LaCava shifting camps. "I talked to Tiger," Johnson said Thursday from Kingsbarns, one of the three courses used in the Dunhill. "Everything's all good. No hard feelings at all.

"So I've got some - for this year and I'll find a caddie for next year. We had a great conversation. He just did what he did," added Johnson, who's posted rounds of 73 and 71 in Scotland and is 12 shots off the pace set by Tommy Fleetwood and Michael Hoey.

Johnson won the rain-shortened Barclays last month - the first event in the four-tournament FedEx Cup Playoffs - with LaCava on the bag. "I liked Joe. I still do. But you've got to make decisions and you can't get mad at him for the decisions he made," said Johnson, who was initially surprised when learning of LaCava's move after the final round of the Tour Championship last weekend in Atlanta.

"He got offered a job so he took it. You can't blame the guy. If he wants to go and caddie for him, it's fine by me."