A familiar figure wearing a Giants ballcap and a caddie bib roamed the Upper Montclair Country Club fairways and greens on Thursday, guiding his pro — one of the top golfers in the world — around the course, reading greens and dishing out yardages and supportive, soothing advice.
Joe LaCava isn’t caddying Tiger Woods or Fred Couples or Steve Stricker or Patrick Cantlay this week, though.
The 59-year-old lifelong looper is on the bag of Nelly Korda, the No. 1 ranked player in women’s golf, for the Cognizant Founders Cup at the New Jersey club located about a 20-minute drive west of the Lincoln Tunnel.
And, one round into the tournament, LaCava is having a ball.
The Connecticut native was accompanied for the day by his wife Megan and daughter Lauren while Korda shot an even-par 72.
LaCava, who with Woods’ blessing joined Cantlay full time last week at the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte, N.C., is moonlighting this week.
Korda approached him — via her agent reaching out to Woods’ manager — a couple months ago when she knew her regular caddie, Jason McDede, would need time off for paternity leave (McDede is married to LPGA player Caroline Masson).
Woods gave his blessing.
“It’s a huge honor to have Joe on the bag this week,’’ Korda told The Post. “I’ve had so much success with Jason, but in sports, you’re always trying to get better. Joe is one of the greatest caddies that has ever caddied in the game, and if I can learn one or two things from him to take on in my future, I’ll be extremely grateful for that.’’
LaCava, who’s been sitting on the sidelines too often the past few years with Woods’ series of back surgeries and the 2021 car crash that nearly cost him his right leg, is grateful for the work. Woods has played only eight tournaments in the past three years and had to withdraw from two of them.
LaCava has wanted more, and Woods knew it.
“Tiger and I talked over the winter, and he said, ‘Listen, I know you love caddying. If something comes up and you want to do it, there will certainly be no hard feelings. We’ll be buddies for life,’ ’’ LaCava told The Post Thursday. “That was nice that he said that, nice that he did that.’’
LaCava insisted he wasn’t “looking’’ for new work, saying, “I really was content just kind of hanging, and Tiger was looking after me, but the more I sat around for most the winter, I said, ‘I do miss it.’ ’’
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The turning point for LaCava came in February at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera, where he said “the juices were flowing the most when [Woods] was trying to make the cut.’’
“I’ve never been so excited to make a cut, and I think that was because I missed it so much,’’ he went on. “That’s when I said to myself, ‘I miss this more than I thought. I want to keep doing this. I want to do more.’ I missed it too much. I missed being out there, missed the guys and missed caddying. It was very simple.’’
LaCava said Cantlay reached out to him two weeks ago, before the Wells Fargo, and said he was parting ways with his longtime caddie Matt Minister, and wanted to know if he was “interested going forward.’’
“I talked to Tiger on the phone and we discussed it, and he gave me his blessing,’’ LaCava said.
LaCava called Woods having to withdraw from the Masters last month “frustrating, because he was swinging the club really well, his swing speed was up, he was driving it well, he was hitting some good golf shots. The walking just took its toll.’’
Woods, 47, had surgery on his right foot and ankle recently and isn’t expected to play again this season.
“He misses it more than you can imagine,’’ LaCava said of Woods — spoken by a person who has a deep understanding of missing something he’s most passionate about.
You could see the passion in LaCava’s eyes and hear it in his voice on Thursday.
So, now the caddie who didn’t have many tournaments to work has worked two with Woods, three Champions Tour events for Couples, one PGA Tour event for Stricker, last week’s debut with Cantlay and now this week with Korda before he drives to Rochester on Sunday night — after he finishes with Korda — to rejoin Cantlay, seems to be making up for lost time.
“It was kind of a perfect storm,’’ he said. “It all came together at the same time. I’m happy to be working again. It’s a nice stretch, and this is a home game more or less. It’s been fun. Lot of Giants fans. I’m always comfortable around Giants fans.”
LaCava sounded as excited about the nearby hotel he’s staying in this week as he did about working with Korda.
“I’ve got a view of MetLife Stadium,’’ he said. “It gets me jacked up for September.’’
