Alejandro Tosti lost his caddie in the middle of Thursday’s first round at the PGA Tour’s Biltmore Championship Asheville.
The 30-year-old Argentine started at 8:59 a.m. off the 10th tee at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove, grouped with Luke Clanton and Spencer Oxendine. Cliff Ellis was on the bag. Tosti opened with eight consecutive pars. On the par-4 18th — his ninth hole of the day — the partnership ended.
Golf Channel video showed Tosti and Ellis exchanging words in the fairway. Ellis then dropped the bag, pulled off his caddie bib and walked away.
Tosti later told Golfweek he thought Ellis had gone to a restroom short of the 18th green and continued toward the first tee. Ellis did not return.
The two had already allegedly clashed during Tuesday’s practice round. Neither has publicly explained the split. After the round, Tosti cracked that Ellis “couldn’t keep up with eight pars in a row.”
Tosti enlisted a spectator from the gallery to carry his clubs the rest of the way. He made par on his first 11 holes and signed for a 1-over 72. Patrick Talledo took over the bag for Friday’s second round.
Tosti entered the week No. 186 in the FedEx Cup Fall standings and has a history of friction with caddies. He was suspended from the Korn Ferry Tour in 2023 for conduct unbecoming a professional after on-course outbursts and is known for changing loopers often.
Earlier this year at the Valspar Championship, he had a caddie wear a bib that read “Need a wife.”
The mid-round walk-off left him to finish the opening nine without the man who started the week on his bag.
