Kevin Kisner lent his caddie to Sepp Straka. Now what?

HOYLAKE, England — In case you’re watching this week’s Open Championshipchances are you’ll discover one of many contenders has a well-known face on the bag.

In case you can’t fairly place Sepp Straka‘s caddie, that’s as a result of that is simply the pair’s second occasion collectively. However his title is Duane Bock and usually you’d see him with Kevin Kisner, who’s been his boss for the higher a part of a decade. Collectively they’ve comprised one of the vital iconic duos on the PGA Tour, profitable a number of occasions, contending in dozens extra and qualifying for 2 completely different Presidents Cups.

However Kisner hasn’t been quite himself because the 2022 Presidents Cup; his finest end is T29 and his final six begins embrace 4 missed cuts and two WDs. The final time we noticed Kisner he shot seven-over 42 on the entrance on the Vacationers Championship earlier than WDing with an undisclosed sickness.

Now Kisner is taking a while away from the Tour. Why? He put it succinctly on Twitter final month: “Bc I suck proper now,” he wrote.

As to the query of when he’ll return?

“After I can break par at house persistently.”

Lengthy story brief, Kisner’s caddie had some availability on his fingers. And Kisner’s fellow Georgia Bulldog Sepp Straka was searching for a caddie and searching for some mojo, too, coming off a three-event stretch of MC-T38-T64.

Straka introduced on Bock with the understanding the 2 would play the John Deere Traditional and the Open Championship. It could be an understatement to say the Deere went properly; Straka was on 59-watch on Sunday and finally posted a final-round 62 to pull off an incredible come-from-behind victorythe second PGA Tour win of his profession.

“At my finest, I do really feel like I can compete with anyone,” he mentioned post-win.

His recreation traveled properly throughout the pond, too, as did his new partnership. By means of three rounds he sat at 5 beneath par, in a share of fourth place. He credited his recreation post-round however shouted out his new caddie, too.

“Yeah, I’ve recognized Duey for some time now since he caddied for a good friend of mine, Kis,” he mentioned. “And Kis is taking a little bit break so I figured I’d borrow him for a little bit bit. It’s labored out nice. I really like Duey. He’s an incredible caddie, and I’m actually pleased to have him on the bag.”

Straka defined that he appreciates Bock’s unwavering dedication to the duty at hand.

“I feel he does an incredible job of simply sticking with one shot at a time. He’s a really skilled man and nonetheless likes to have a variety of enjoyable on the market, however whether or not I’m 2-over or enjoying nice, he’s unchanged,” he mentioned. “He’s nice at simply sort of not exhibiting any type of emotion a technique or one other. He’s on [to the] subsequent shot, it doesn’t matter what.”

It’s robust to think about a greater player-caddie begin than a PGA Tour win adopted by a top-five consequence at a significant. So now what? Participant-caddie relationships on the PGA Tour are a captivating mixture of short-term, long-term and unsure in-between. This one’s new and so it’s understandably unsure. However up to now, so good.

Requested if he knew how lengthy the pair deliberate to work collectively, Straka implied it was in that in-between zone.

“It’s not for positive, yeah,” he mentioned. “To be decided — however for the foreseeable future.”

It’s not exhausting to know why.

Dylan Dethier

Golf.com Editor

Dylan Dethier is a senior author for GOLF Journal/GOLF.com. The Williamstown, Mass. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Dethier is a graduate of Williams School, the place he majored in English, and he’s the writer of 18 in Americawhich particulars the 12 months he spent as an 18-year-old residing from his automotive and enjoying a spherical of golf in each state.