Longtime caddie Mike “Fluff” Cowan underwent hip surgery this week and is now recovering at his home, .
Cowan, who spent decades working with Jim Furyk on the PGA Tour, has been battling a hip injury for months. The 76-year-old is now using a walker to get around.
“I ignored it and tired to work my way through it, but it was time,” Cowan said.
Cowan was working with C.T. Pan at the RBC Canadian Open earlier this season when . A local fan actually stepped in to replace him briefly for Pan before he could find a replacement caddie. Cowan was treated for “nonserious” injuries and couldn’t continue.
He said he didn’t think that his hip injury was related to that fall initially, but now he’s not positive. Cowan, who split briefly with Furyk before reuniting earlier this year, was on the bag for Furyk at the U.S. Senior Open in June a few weeks after his fall with Pan. He lasted just one day, however, and had to step aside.
“He was hobbling and in a lot of pain and he went home,” Furyk said, via Golfweek. “He had to bite the bullet and it was inevitable that he had to get [the surgery] done.”
Cowan first caddied for Ed Sabo in 1976, and he worked with both Peter Jacobsen and Tiger Woods before he eventually linked up with Furyk. Cowan was on the bag for Woods’ win at the Masters in 1997, too. Cowan and Furyk then worked together for 25 years during their first stretch together, which included a U.S. Open win, a FedEx Cup win and a pair of sub-60 rounds.
Though he’s still in the early stages of his recovery, Fluff is hopeful that he can rejoin Furyk on the course again soon. His goal is to be the cart driver for Furyk, who is the U.S. Team captain, during the Presidents Cup next month in Montreal. Furyk hasn’t hired a full time replacement caddie yet, either. He’s used his son, Tanner, and longtime caddie Ricky Winn in the meantime.
Furyk won 17 times on the PGA Tour in his career and three times on the PGA Tour Champions. He’s made just 11 starts on that circuit this season, but has finished inside the top 20 just once.
“I’m still working for Jim, but I can’t work [right now], Fluff said. “I hope I have another year or two in me.”
