{
  "id": 16992080,
  "title": "Ben Griffin Hires Mickelson’s Caddie For Mexico Open Boost",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/ben-griffin-hires-mickelsons-caddie-for-mexico-open-boost",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-29T02:05:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ben-griffin-hires-mickelson-caddie-020512269.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Ben Griffin is revamping his strategy for the 2026 VidantaWorld Mexico Open by enlisting the services of Jon Yarbrough, a highly experienced caddie. This change comes after Griffin ended his partnership with Alex Ritthamel just before the tournament. The move aims to help Griffin recover from a poor 2026 season, following a dominant 2025 where he won three tournaments and earned a Ryder Cup spot. Yarbrough, who has worked with golf legends Phil Mickelson and Scott Stallings, brings extensive green-reading expertise to the table. His ability to understand the complexities of fast, sloping greens could prove invaluable for Griffin, who has struggled to secure a win this season. The hiring shows that traditional knowledge and human intuition still play a crucial role in competitive golf, particularly on the greens. Despite Mickelson's absence from the tour due to personal issues, Yarbrough's return to a top-level caddie role signals a shift in the caddie market. The tournament will feature strong competition, with past winners including Brian Campbell, Jon Rahm, and Tony Finau. Golf Channel will provide live coverage of the event from Thursday to Sunday.",
  "summary": "Ben Griffin hired Jon Yarbrough, whom Phil Mickelson called the \"best green reader,\" to lead his push for wins at the 2026 VidantaWorld Mexico Open.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ben Griffin hires Jon Yarbrough, Mickelson's former caddie, for Mexico Open.",
    "Yarbrough has experience with Phil Mickelson and Scott Stallings.",
    "Yarbrough's green-reading expertise could aid Griffin's struggling season."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Recruiting a veteran specialist signals a strategic pivot toward relying on proven human intuition to overcome recent performance struggles on the challenging, sloping greens of the Mexico Open.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}