Alejandro Tosti was left searching for a replacement caddie midway through his opening round at the Biltmore Championship Asheville after Cliff Ellis walked away from the Argentine’s bag.
Tosti had started on the 10th at The Cliffs at Walnut Cove and opened with eight consecutive pars before the pair were seen exchanging words as they approached the 18th green, their ninth hole of the day.
Ellis then put the bag down in the fairway, removed his caddie bib and walked off.
Tosti later joked about the incident, saying: “He couldn’t keep up with eight pars in a row,” accompanied by laughing emojis.
With Ellis gone, Tosti recruited a spectator from the gallery to carry his bag for the remainder of the round and eventually signed for a one-over 72.
The walk-off followed reported tension between Tosti and Ellis during a practice round earlier in the week. Ellis had worked for the 30-year-old on and off in recent years.
Tosti returned for the second round with Patrick Talledo on the bag.
The unusual incident came on the same day Tosti shared footage on social media of a seaplane flight around the mountains near Asheville, including a water landing, during his time away from the course.
Tosti has previously attracted attention for incidents on the course, including a disagreement with Tony Finau over playing order at the 2024 Houston Open and a disciplinary withdrawal from a Korn Ferry Tour event in 2023.
