Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay, the former caddie of golf legend Phil Mickelson, has shared a poignant memory from the 2004 Masters, revealing an intimate moment between Mickelson and the Augusta National locker room staff after his first victory at the prestigious tournament.
Mickelson’s triumph 21 years ago marked the beginning of his legacy as a Masters champion, securing his place in the exclusive champions’ locker room alongside the sport’s elite. The win was one of three Masters titles he clinched with Mackay by his side during the zenith of his career.
Away from the public gaze, Mackay recounted a heartfelt incident that unfolded on that victorious Sunday evening, long after the crowds had dispersed.
Mackay reminisced to No Laying Up about the aftermath of the win: “There we are, he’s won the Masters, it’s 6:30 on a Sunday evening and I don’t see this guy for like three or four hours,” adding, “So I’m sitting in this parking lot or near it outside the Augusta National clubhouse and it must have been 10 o’clock.
“I look out to his car, and I see some figures. It’s pitch dark out there, and it’s Phil and these two or three other people around him. So I walk up there to kind of help with packing the bag, and as I walk up to him, I see these guys are hugging Phil.
“They’re not just hugging him, it’s like an emotional hug…I’m like, ‘Man, who are these guys hugging Phil?’ It turns out these are the guys that work in the lower locker room at Augusta National (that) Phil’s been tipping all these years and taking such good care of.
“Now that Phil’s won the Masters, he’s going to the champions’ locker room, and these guys are losing him forever, and they’re just devastated. So they’re hugging it out in the parking lot and I thought, ‘That’s really cool’.”
Mickelson is back at the Masters this week in the hopes of adding a fourth title in Georgia. The left-hander had been full of confidence with his game heading into this week, commenting last month: “The fact is I’m hitting a lot of good shots. I’m playing some good golf, and this is a building week as I continue to build into LIV and my goal of accomplishing a win in LIV as well as winning another major, getting ready for Augusta.”
Mickelson got his week underway on Thursday with a three-over-par 75 in Georgia.
This article originally appeared on Mirror US
