Another caddie quits mid-tournament on the PGA Tour, this time in Japan

Another caddie quits mid-tournament on the PGA Tour, this time in Japan.

Key points

• At 38, Lipsky has enjoyed success on multiple tours, including victories on the DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Korn Ferry Tour.
• Veteran caddie Darren Woolard reportedly reached his breaking point while working for journeyman professional David Lipsky at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan.
• But perhaps the strangest episode involved Austin Gaugert and Garrick Higgo at the PGA Championship.
• Now, with Woolard and Lipsky reportedly experiencing their own breakdown, the Tour's caddie ranks have produced another unexpected storyline.
• Another caddie-player partnership has reportedly come to an abrupt end on the PGA Tour, adding to what has become an unusual season for caddies.

Veteran caddie Darren Woolard reportedly reached his breaking point while working for journeyman professional David Lipsky at the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. According to a source, Woolard had enough and essentially informed Lipsky to find someone else to carry his bag for Sunday's final round at Yokohama Country Club, approximately 20 miles south of Tokyo.

According to A Tour official, lipsky teed off in the final round with a different caddie. Although it had heard the person filling in during the final round may have been Lipsky's trainer, golfweek could not independently confirm the identity of the replacement.

In practice, the documented split came after a frustrating stretch for Lipsky. This person kicked off the tournament promisingly with a 66 on Thursday before slipping to rounds of 72 and 73. His third round concluded particularly poorly, with bogeys on two of his final three holes. It didn't obtain much better on Sunday, especially early as he bogeyed four of his first five holes but rallied to shot 1-under 70.

At 38, Lipsky has enjoyed success on multiple tours, including victories on the DP World Tour, Asian Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. He additionally finished runner-up to Matt Fitzpatrick at the Valspar Championship in March. Nevertheless, that was his only top-10 finish of the season, and he had missed the cut in six of his previous 10 starts heading into the week. He began the tournament ranked No. 85 in the season-long standings.

Woolard, meanwhile, is no stranger to the professional golf circuit. His previous players include Scott Piercy, Taylor Montgomery, K.H. Lee and the late Jarrod Lyle.

Meanwhile, the documented separation is the latest in a string of unusual incidents involving caddies this season. Last month, Cliff Ellis created headlines when he removed his caddie bib and abandoned Alejandro Tosti's bag mid-round during the opening 18 holes of the Biltmore Championship Asheville.

But perhaps the strangest episode involved Austin Gaugert and Garrick Higgo at the PGA Championship. Higgo failed to obtain to the first tee before his scheduled tee time, resulting in a two-stroke penalty. He subsequently delivered a memorable press conference, offering a series of remarks that rapidly drew attention.

"I wouldn't have been late if I had known I was running late, " Higgo remarked.

He followed that with another line that captured the bizarre nature of the situation: "I was there on time, but the rule is, if you're one second late, you're late."

Higgo ultimately missed the cut by a single stroke, and he and Gaugert parted ways before the player's next start.

Caddies are often viewed as trusted partners who support players navigate the pressures of professional golf, but these incidents show just how swiftly those relationships can unravel when frustration, performance and timing collide. And with another documented split in Japan, the season's list of unusual caddie stories continues to grow.

In short, another caddie quits mid-tournament on the PGA Tour, this time in Japan is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.