New PGA Tour member hires former Bryson DeChambeau ally for professional debut

New PGA Tour member Ben James has hired Bryson DeChambeau's former caddie for his professional debut this week at the RBC Canadian Open. 

Martin finished first in PGA Tour U and earned a full exemption for the rest of the 2026 and 2027 season. 

James, who went to the University of Virginia, officially locked up the coveted spot following the conclusion of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship.

Other golfers who earned PGA Tour status via this pathway include Sweden's Ludvig Aberg, Michael Thorbjornsen and David Ford. 

And he will have a familiar face carrying the sticks this week as he has hired DeChambeau's former caddie Tim Tucker. 

Tucker was on the bag for DeChambeau when he won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Food and all seven of his other PGA Tour victories. 

DeChambeau and Tucker split in 2021 on the eve of the Rocket Classic. 

Although both sides said the decision was mutual, there was a lot of speculation that something dramatic must've happened as they parted ways mid-week of the tournament. 

Tucker, who caddied for Kurt Kitayama after leaving DeChambeau, most recently worked for Tony Finau. 

He has also caddied for DeChambeau temporarily in LIV Golf League when Greg Bodine hasn't been available. 

James is set for a busy three-week stretch of professional golf. 

On Monday, he qualified for next week's U.S. Open and he has also received a sponsor's exemption into the signature Travelers Championship in three weeks' time. 

James is touted to have a big future in the sport. 

He was a member of the U.S. Walker Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup teams and, in 2021, won the Junior Players Championship. 

James finished his amateur career ranked second. 

He amassed seven victories and 35 top-10 finishes in just 46 starts while helping usher in a golden era for the Cavaliers. During his time with the program, Virginia captured its first two ACC Championship titles in 2025 and 2026, while also recording a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championship in 2025

Why did Tim Tucker and Bryson DeChambeau split?

Tucker and DeChambeau parted ways on the eve of the 2021 Rocket Classic. 

At the time, DeChambeau's agent Brett Falkoff simply said both were "getting tired" and the decision was mutual. 

Tucker later said he regretted how the split transpired, telling Golf Channel he should've finished the week at the very least.

"I made a big mistake in my timing with it," Tucker said of the split. 

"It shouldn't have happened that way; we should have finished out the week. 

"I didn’t mean to put that pressure on him. I’m sure he had a lot on his mind to play in the Rocket Mortgage. I regret how that all went down."

He added: "I've been very fortunate to be able to caddie for this guy.

"He is the hardest-working guy I’ve ever seen, sacrifices everything for this game. 

“[But] Bryson is very demanding. I think that’s a great attribute from an employer because it makes you get better. 

"If you’re not getting better and learning and pushing everything you’re doing, then you become complacent and start making mistakes and you’re not continuing to grow. 

"He makes you do that, and it’s unbelievable. He demands it from everybody.”