Rickie Fowler Splits With Longtime Caddie on Eve of FedEx Cup Playoffs

The fan favorite is the last man into this week's first playoff event and he'll play without Joe Skovron, his caddie since 2009.

Rickie Fowler will have a new caddie this week at the playoff opener at the FedEx St. Jude Championship—and that's bigger news than usual.

Fowler has had the same man on his bag, Joe Skovron, since turning professional in 2009. Former PGA Tour player Colt Knost and Golf Channel's Todd Lewis reported Tuesday that Fowler split with Skovron.

According to Jason Sobel of the Action Network, Fowler will use Ben Schomin as a temporary replacement in Memphis. Schomin is an employee of Cobra Golf, which is a major endorser of Fowler's.

The 33-year-old has been mired in a slump in recent years. His last win was in February 2019 at the WM Phoenix Open. He finished outside the top 125 last season, missing the FedEx Cup playoffs.

This season, he had a T3 in October at the CJ Cup but hasn't had anything close to that since. He missed the cut in three of his last five starts, including last week at the Wyndham Championship when he was on the playoff bubble. He managed to get through as the No. 125-ranked player, the very last in the field. 

Points are quadrupled in the playoff events and the top 70 make it to the next round, the BMW Championship.

Barring a deep playoff run, Fowler is unlikely to make next month's Presidents Cup team. He has appeared on the last three teams, in 2015, 2017 and 2019.