PGA Tour

Lydia Ko's fired caddie: 'She needs to wake up'

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:54 p.m. ET

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Sports Illustrated, Kevin Cunningham/Golf.com

Earlier this week World No. 1 Lydia Ko parted ways with her caddie Gary Matthews, after the pair had only worked together for nine events. And now Matthews is speaking out about the split, honestly and bluntly.

The caddie, who has worked with several PGA Tour pros, including Sergio Garcia, told Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte, "I wish her the best, but she’s gone through so many caddies, she needs to wake up on caddie-player relationships. Otherwise she’ll just keep doing it."

Ko is coming off a T2 finish at the LPGA Lotte Championship in Oahu, Hawaii. Ko had three other top 10s in March with Matthews on the bag, though she missed just the second cut of her career a month ago at the Kia Classic. Matthews told Rosaforte that communication was the biggest issue with the young star's management team.

"In all honesty, there is no communication in the whole camp. You never know anything or are told anything," Matthews said, but those problems did not exist between Ko and him. "What was so strange for me, we worked unbelievably well in Hawaii, the communication and everything was just phenomenal," Matthews said.

Ko has made several changes in the past year. In December she fired longtime coach David Leadbetter — and has since landed with Gary Gilchrist — and also announced her signing with PXG in January.

Speaking to Golf Digest after the split, Leadbetter said Ko's parents are heavily involved in her career.

"They tell her when to go to bed, what to eat, what to wear, when to practice and what to practice," he said. "And they expect her to win every tournament. They are good people, who love their daughter and want the very best for her ... but they are naive about golf. And at some point, they've got to let the bird fly from the nest. I would often think, 'It's not easy coaching three people.'"

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