2024 Genesis Invitational: Tiger Woods using new caddie in first PGA Tour start since 2023 Masters

With Woods' old caddie now alongside another player, the 48-year-old has called upon the services of a veteran

Tiger Woods has a new man on his golf bag this week at the 2024 Genesis Invitational. Lance Bennett will carry Woods' clubs and offer advice this week at Riviera Country Club as his primary client, Adrian Dumont de Chassart, is not part of the field this weke.

Bennett is the former bag man for the likes of Sungjae Im and Matt Kuchar, and he could be on Tiger's bag for the Players Championship and Masters later this year, Golfweek reports. Of course, Tiger could move on and use the services of someone else.

"Lance, I've had a great relationship with him over the years going back to when he caddied for Kuch, and when we played at the Presidents Cup together back at Muirfield Village, and all the years that we have been on Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups together, and the times that I have been able to play with him in the same groups," Woods said Wednesday.

"[Lance is] very down to earth, very loyal. How he has conversated with his players through the years, I have also taken notice of that," Tiger continued. "We've had the same types of feels in how we look at the golf course and how we read putts. They are very similar, so I think we're going to be a great team, and we look forward to the challenge."

Woods utilized his longtime business associate and vice president of TGR Ventures, Rob McNamara, at the 2023 Hero World Challenge in December. The arrangement was always going to be temporary, though McNamara could serve in an emergency caddie role if ever needed. Tiger did not completely rule out the thought of using his 15-year-old son, Charlie, when asked about the possibility in The Bahamas.

The 15-time major champion has rarely needed to play musical chairs when it comes to caddies throughout his career. After relationships with Mike "Fluff" Cowen and Steve Williams, Woods joined forces with Joe LaCava in 2012. The two enjoyed a fruitful partnership highlighted by Woods' victory at the 2019 Masters.

However, with Woods no longer a regular competitor on the PGA Tour and LaCava still holding some gas in his tank, the two decided to part ways this past May. LaCava now serves as Patrick Cantlay's caddie, which you may remember from the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Tiger tees it up this week at the 2024 Genesis Invitational for his first official start on the PGA Tour since the 2023 Masters. Still with LaCava at the time, Woods was forced to withdraw from the cold and rainy conditions of Augusta National due to an ankle injury.