Lydia Ko changes caddie - again - for new LPGA season

Lydia Ko has opted for a new caddie for 2023, reuniting with David Jones.

Despite a stellar 2022 in which she returned to World No.1, won the Rolex Player of the Year award as well as the Vare Trophy for lowest LPGA scoring average and earned three tournament wins, Ko has opted to drop Derek Kistler this year.

Ko's sister and manager, Sura, confirmed the switch to Golfweek but gave no reason for the unexpected swap.

It adds to an already infamous reputation Ko has with caddies, having changed who was on her bag frequently throughout her career - including nine different handlers in the span of three years at one point.

"I wish her the best, but she's gone through so many caddies, she needs to wake up on caddie-player relationships," Gary Matthews said back in 2017 after he was cut by Ko.

"Otherwise, she'll just keep doing it."

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The pair have winning history with Jones being Ko's caddie in 2021 when she won the Lotte Championship, ending a 1,084-day winless streak she had endured with a dominant seven-shot victory at the Kapolei Golf Club in Hawaii.

The Irishman was also been on the bag for In Gee Chun when she won the 2016 Evian Championship and for Sung Hyun Park’s two major titles at the 2017 US Women’s Open and 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA.

Jones most recently caddied for Nick Taylor on the PGA Tour.