Last week, PGA Tour player Alejandro Tosti and his caddy, Cliff Ellis, made headlines when Ellis removed his bib and dropped Tosti’s bag on the 18th fairway – halfway through the pair’s round at the Cliffs at Walnut Covehost of the Biltmore Asheville Championship.
Golf Channel cameras captured Tosti and Ellis having what appeared to be a brief but animated interaction just off the 18th green just before Ellis left. Tosti continued his walk to the green and said he employed a fan from the gallery to carry his bag for the remaining nine holes in his first round. Tosti ultimately shot a 72, followed by a 71 in the second round with a new caddy, to miss the cut.
Grilled cheese said Golf week Adam Schupak that he thought Ellis had gone to a toilet on the 18. What sparked their disagreement? Earlier this week, Ellis shared his side of the story with The Tee Box Golf Show.
Ellis, who had been working for Tosti since the CJ Cup in May, began by describing their relationship as “tumultuous”, although he conceded that Tosti is “a very kind gentleman, off-the-course” and “friendly to the fans”.
The two made just three cuts during their run together before Ellis left the course last Thursday in North Carolina.
“The whole week was just ridiculous,” Ellis said. “A lot of just off-the-wall and crazy things were happening all week between him and me. So Thursday morning we had a real hot start. We were on the range warming up and we had a little discussion about bag placement … at the driving range. That was just crazy.
“So, as you see on that video, we got to the 18th hole, which is our ninth of the day. We had 136 (yards) in, we hit this wedge here. We couldn’t really see the green or where the ball was, but there is a big stand behind it, so by the reaction of the crowd, I knew it was close to the ground and I knew it was close. very makeable And I took the bag He (Tosti) He looks at me and says, “Why is this umbrella in the bag?” I said, “What if it rains? Or what if you want to use it for the sun? Which is something he does often. He will open the umbrella for the walk and sit under it so as not to get into the sun. He said something like, “Well, it would be stupid to have it out there.” I’m like, ‘Am I going to wear this bag? What difference does it make to you?’ “
“I just tried to brush it off,” Ellis continued. “We have a hand sign that we use to say ‘Hey, we’re focused,’ but he says, ‘No, I don’t understand why you brought that up.’ He said, “Looks like you’re a -.” It took a personal attack. He used a word that I can’t use here on the radio. In the video you can see me pointing to myself, I say, “You call me that this?’
“I said, ‘I’m going to let you walk that back real quick and we can move on.’ Well, he doubled down on it, so I said, “You know what, I’m done with you, and I’m out of here, I quit.” He said, “Are you kidding me?” And I said, “I kid you not. Who would stand for that?”
Ellis says he hasn’t heard from Tosti since the incident, but would be open to falling again for another player in the future. Tosti is currently ranked #188 in the FedEx Cup fall rankings.
You can listen to Ellis’ full interview on The Tee Box Golf Show here. Ellis’ segment begins at the 37-minute mark.
