Mike “Fluff” Cowan recently underwent surgery on his left hip and is currently recovering at home, using a walker to move around. The surgery was long overdue, as Fluff had been experiencing pain for a while but tried to push through it. Fluff, who recently ended a 25-year tenure as caddie for Jim Furyk, briefly worked with C.T. Pan on the PGA Tour before the arrangement ended abruptly.
After his surgery, Furyk hadn’t hired a permanent replacement and had been relying on his son, Tanner, who was only filling in temporarily. Fluff eventually reunited with Furyk in June at the Dick’s Open on PGA Tour Champions. Fluff’s hip issues had already been bothering him prior to the surgery, but it was during the U.S. Senior Open that he realized he couldn’t continue and had to get the surgery done.
At the RBC Canadian Open, Fluff had a fall during the fourth round that left his hand injured. Although he initially thought the hip injury was unrelated to the fall, he started to doubt it after some time. Ricky Winn, a fellow caddie and friend of Fluff, has been filling in on Furyk’s bag while Fluff recovers. Throughout his career spanning close to 50 years, Fluff has worked with renowned players like Peter Jacobsen and Tiger Woods, becoming as recognizable as the players themselves.
Fluff has a follow-up appointment scheduled for September 11 and aims to be mobile enough to serve as Furyk’s cart driver at the Presidents Cup in Montreal at the end of September. Despite the uncertainty, Fluff remains optimistic about his recovery and hopes to return in time for the Furyk & Friends event in October. Furyk, who has also been battling injuries, has managed to secure several victories on both tours, including the 2003 U.S. Open, a remarkable score of 58, and a 59.
As Fluff focuses on his recovery, he acknowledges that he still works for Furyk but is unable to actively work at the moment. He looks forward to hopefully returning to his role in the near future and believes he still has another year or two left in him. With a strong history of success and camaraderie between Fluff and Furyk, fans are hopeful that they both can overcome their injuries and continue their winning streaks on the golf course.
