Who is Collin Morikawa's caddie? Meet Jonathan 'JJ' Jakovac

Jonathan 'JJ' Jakovac has been on the bag for Collin Morikawa since 2019. 

The duo joined forces for that year's sectional qualifying for the US Open, and have been a formidable pairing ever since.

Before working for Morikawa, JJ was on Ryan Moore's bag for seven years. 

Prior to his career as a caddie, JJ was a force to be reckoned with on the golf course. 

He clinched two individual national championships for California State University and won the 2004 Jack Nicklaus Award for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the US.

Jakovac was also admitted into the California Collegiate Athletic Association hall of fame. 

Following his amateur success, Jakovac turned pro. 

However, he never made it through Q-School and instead opted for a life as a looper. 

Since joining forces, Morikawa and Jakovac have experienced an abundance of success. 

Discussing their partnership, Jakovak previously praised Morikawa's mental strength.

He said:

"I’m lucky to have him. He seems like he has been there 100 times and he hasn't. It just goes to his mental strength and his maturity, and you add the freakish ball-striking to an absolute stone-cold demeanour which is very comfortable in all situations … and you get someone special."

PGA Tour star Morikawa has also paid testament to JJ after his victories. 

He called him his 'good luck charm' when he clinched his maiden major. 

Overall, they have notched up an impressive six PGA Tour victories, including two major championships, the 2020 PGA Championship and the 2021 Open Championship. 

Their other wins include the 2019 Barracuda Championship, 2020 Workday Charity Open, 2021 WGC at The Concession and 2023 ZOZO Championship. 

While all of Morikawa's victories have been special, his Open Championship win at Royal St George's was particularly significant, as it fell on Jakovac's 39th birthday. 

To celebrate the day, Morikawa led the crowd in a heart-warming rendition of 'Happy Birthday', dedicated to Jakovac.

Away from the golf course, Jakovac is a big San Francisco Giants fan and lives in Las Vegas with his wife and their two sons. 

Jakovak's wife is the sister of Ryan Moore's wife. 

The two met when Jakovak and Moore worked together. 

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