Jack Clarke was on Ludvig Aberg’s bag for two professional wins, eight top-25 finishes on the PGA Tour and a Ryder Cup victory, yet his player still decided to go a different direction for 2024.
Earlier this week, NBC Sports reported that the 23-year-old Swede would be bringing on veteran caddie Joe Skovron to join his team in the upcoming year. Clarke received the news that the Grant Thornton Invitational would be his final event with Aberg, who had been partnered with Clarke’s fiancée, Madelene Sagstrom, in a mixed-gender tournament. It was their shared connection with Sagstrom, who is also from Sweden and has the same swing coach as Clarke, that initially brought Aberg and Clarke together.
Clarke was taken aback when he learned of Aberg’s decision to make a change. Aberg had only recently finished his senior season at Texas Tech, and in just six months, he had climbed over 3,000 places in the world rankings. In an interview with Bunkered, Clarke expressed his surprise at the decision, calling it a “shock.” However, Aberg simply wanted a caddie with more experience.
“He told me just last week that he was going to let me go because he wanted someone with more experience on his bag,” Clarke shared with Bunkered. “I didn’t see it coming because of the success we had together, but I completely understand and respect his decision.”
“I was surprised and disappointed by the choice, but ultimately, it’s his decision in order to pursue his goals,” Clarke added.
Aberg made it clear to Clarke that he was seeking a caddie who had extensive knowledge of major championship golf. Despite having already played in a Ryder Cup, Aberg has yet to compete in one of the sport’s four prestigious events. His first major appearance will be at the 2024 Masters.
Skovron, who spent 13 seasons as Rickie Fowler’s caddie, boasts an impressive record with over 50 major championship starts. He has been caddying for Tom Kim for the past year, and Kim, a rising star from South Korea, achieved a T2 finish at the Open Championship and a T8 finish at the U.S. Open.
“When he said the experience in majors, I can’t say too much about it because I don’t have that,” Clarke said.
Aberg and Skovron will team up for the first time at The Sentry—formerly the Sentry Tournament of Champions—which kicks of the PGA Tour calendar year from Jan. 4–7.
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