Report: Bryson DeChambeau opens up on caddie split; new caddie ready for The Open

Bryson DeChambeau has finally addressed his split with longtime caddie Tim Tucker.

Speaking exclusively to Golf.com’s Luke Kerr-Dineen, DeChambeau described Tucker’s decision to quit on the eve of DeChambeau’s title defense at the Rocket Mortgage Classic as a “curveball,” but he added that there was no “falling out” between the two.

“The guy helped me win a major and eight other times,” DeChambeau told Golf.com. “I’ll forever be so grateful for everything he’s done for me and what he’s helped me accomplish. I’ll always have nothing to say but amazing things about Tim.”

According to Golf.com, DeChambeau and Tucker had been preparing for an eventual split since last year. Tucker, a former Bandon Dunes caddie, is set to launch a luxury transportation company to and from the Oregon-based resort next month.

“We were really tired,” Tucker said, also speaking with Golf.com. “The season; the tour schedule was grinding on us, grinding on me. I knew I was working on this business on the side; we’ve had a very intense relationship where he works a lot of hours. It was a little bit of me not being 100 percent healthy and happy. … We made the best decision for the both of us.”

Tucker added that he regretted the timing, saying, “I wished we would have finished out the week. [Bryson] probably wasn’t as focused on the golf as he should’ve been, and I take a lot of the blame for that.”

DeChambeau’s new caddie is reportedly Brian Ziegler, the lead instructor at Dallas National who also is close with DeChambeau’s instructor Chris Como. Ziegler, according to Golf.com, has been training for this transition under Tucker for six months.

Ziegler is expected to debut on DeChambeau’s bag at next week’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s.

“Brian has been a big part of my life for a while now,” DeChambeau told Golf.com. “We did a lot of speed training stuff together. He was the motivator and the hype man. He helped me reach new [personal records] I never believed I would get to.”