Jonathan ‘JJ’ Jakovac, Collin Morikawa’s Caddie: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Collin Morikawa and his caddie JJ Jakovac

Getty Caddie JJ Jakovac and Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa is a young, up-and-coming golfer who’s already established himself as a top golfer since his professional debut at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. Morikawa’s been in a partnership with caddie Jonathan Jakovac, known as JJ, since then and it’s been a very successful pairing so far. Jakovac grew up in Napa, California, and played golf himself before making the career switch to caddying.

Here’s what you need to know about Collin Morikawa’s caddie Jonathan “JJ” Jakovac:


1. JJ Jakovac Was Raised in California & Was One of the Country’s Top Collegiate Golf Stars

Jakovac was raised in Napa, California, and began playing golf at a very young age, though not seriously. According to the Chico Enterprise-Record, Jakovac’s father was a good player himself at a local golf club and Jakovac would accompany him and hit golf balls from the age of 3 and 4.

He dropped golf for baseball throughout his childhood though, until he played nine holes with his baseball team and realized that he was better than all of his teammates. At that point, the Enterprise-Record shared that he started focusing on golf again. By the time he got to college, Jakovac was one of the top players in the country.

He attended California State University from 2000 to 2004 and was on the golf team, known as the Chico State Wildcats. Jakovac won two NCAA Division II-level championships and was a three-time All-American as well as the winner of the 2004 Jack Nicklaus Award for the most outstanding collegiate golfer in the U.S. across divisions.

According to his college coach Keith Thomas, the golfer was “so well-known across the country it was remarkable. People would seek out our team just to see him.”

Jakovac was admitted to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2023, and he told the Enterprise-Record, “It seems like a long time ago, but it’s something that I’m honored to be a part of. I don’t think about those days much anymore so when something like this comes up it brings up a lot of memories of friends, the team and all the success that we had and the fun times we had. It was definitely fun to hear.”

After college, Jakovac tried his hand at a golfing career but he shared that he was getting “burned out” from it. He said he wasn’t enjoying it as much as he thought he would and wasn’t finding the success he wanted, telling The Caddie Network’s podcast “Under the Strap” that he was basically breaking even financially.


2. JJ Jakovac Began Caddying for Matt Bettencourt & Also Had a Long Partnership With Ryan Moore

Jakovac caddied for several golfers before Morikawa, but his decision to try caddying came by chance after he was asked by one of his former amateur golf opponents, Matt Bettencourt. Jakovac recalled on the “Under the Strap” podcast that Bettencourt called him and asked if he could caddie for him. Jakovac told him he’d never caddied before and Bettencourt said he didn’t mind, he just wanted someone on his bag that he could trust and who knew golf.

Jakovac joined him and in 2008, Bettencourt won twice on the Nationwide Tour, Golfweek reported. Sometime afterward, the two parted ways and Jakovac worked with other golfers, including Peter Tomasulo, before joining Ryan Moore for a strong partnership that lasted several years and had an important impact on Jakovac’s life.

Their partnership lasted until 2018, after which Jakovac stepped back from caddying to spend time with his family. He told Golfweek he “wasn’t in a hurry to find another bag.” In 2019, he began looking for a new partnership, following the advice of star caddie Paul Tesori. Jakovac told Action News Now that he has a lot of respect for Tesori, who said, “He told me don’t take any job that comes along but to wait for what you think could be a forever bag.”

Jakovac shared with The Caddie Network in 2019 that one of his best memories so far as a caddie was winning in Malaysia two years back-to-back. Jakovac was caddying for Ryan Moore when he won the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in 2013 and 2014. He also shared that his favorite part of caddying is “being part of the action when you have a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday. Great to feel those butterflies.”


3. JJ Jakovac Began Caddying for Collin Morikawa in 2019 After Reaching Out to Him

Jakovac followed the advice of Tesori and took his time finding another bag, which ended up being Morikawa. Jakovac saw Morikawa’s promise and reached out to the golfer’s team to share his resume, and he said he soon ended up on the phone with him.

Morikawa asked Jakovac during the 45-minute phone call if he could come to Ohio and caddie for him in a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifier. According to Golfweek, the two men hit it off as soon as they met, even though there’s a 14-year age gap between them, and the rest is history. “As a college golfer coming out, you really don’t know what your caddie is going to be like or what you’re going to need,” Morikawa explained to the publication. “The only question I asked J.J. was if he’s organized.”

He said he knew the two of them would be a great fit within a couple of weeks and they worked well together. “I’m not saying we’re perfect every time,” he added. “We still work on things; we still tweak things here and there. But that’s what makes him great; we’re both willing to learn and we’re both willing to try to learn something new at times and if we fail, we fail. We’re trying to get better. He just loves being there just as much as I do.”

Moore also had only nice things to say about his former caddie and his new partnership, telling the publication, “I’ve always liked having good players on the bag, someone who has that perspective of knowing how to really play golf, how to deal with different shots, different moments and how difficult it can be. I’ve always appreciated someone who has been there, done that and J.J. definitely had that experience. I think Collin feels the same way.”


4. JJ Jakovac & Collin Morikawa Have Both Praised Each Other & Said Why They Work Really Well Together

The two men have been very complimentary toward each other in interviews in the past few years, as Jakovac said Morikawa is really easy to caddie for. “He’s already on the same page with me,” Jakovac told Golfweek. “And he listens. I trust him, and he trusts me. We’re friends. We like each other. That makes it pretty easy to work together.”

He also described the pro golfer as an “old soul” who doesn’t get frustrated or discouraged after hitting bad shots. Jakovac shared that Morikawa carries himself as though he’s much older and has been golfing for longer, with the acceptance that bad shots will happen. “He’s a special kid,” he added to PGA Tour. “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 demeanor who is very comfortable in all situations … and you get someone special.”

It’s safe to say that Morikawa feels the same, as he told the publication that he was “so happy” to have Jakovac by his side. “Let me say thank you, Ryan Moore, for not keeping him on the bag,” he joked. “He’s a person I can talk to on the course and who just keeps it comfortable.” He praised Jakovac for knowing the kind of game and player Morikawa is and for sharing with him the information he wants when he wants it. “I’m very lucky to have him on the bag,” he concluded.

Jakovac told Action News Now that one of his favorite memories of caddying came in 2021 after Morikawa won the Open Championship. “He told the crowd it was my birthday and 40,000 people sang happy birthday to me,” he smiled. “I told him afterwards, you spoiled me. You ruined the rest of my birthdays for the rest of my life. It can’t get any better than my life.”


5. JJ Jakovac Is Married to Amanda, the Sister of Ryan Moore’s Wife, & They Have 2 Sons Together

Jakovac moved to Las Vegas from Napa over 10 years ago and now lives there with his wife, Amanda, and their two sons, Bo and Benji. According to a profile on his Chico Wildcats page, Bo is his firstborn and Benji was born in late October 2020.

Jakovac met his wife Amanda through Moore. While speaking about their connection on the “Under the Strap” podcast, the caddie said his now-wife is the younger sister of his former partner Moore’s wife Nicole Moore. After a few years of dating, Jakovac and his wife got married and now have two sons.

Amanda Jakovac has her Instagram profile set to private but her bio reveals that she’s a jack of all trades, as she states she’s “JJ’s Wife, Bo Bennett and Benji Banks Momma, 🐶🐶, Dental Hygienist, Bomb Auntie, Family Addict, Country Listener, Cereal Fanatic.”

During his time away from the golf course, Jakovac shared with The Caddie Network that his hobbies include fly fishing and woodworking. He said if he wasn’t a caddie, he’d likely be a general contractor. “I have always enjoyed building things and I actually worked in construction for a while between playing and the start of my caddying career,” he revealed.