After surviving the ‘worst decision of his life’, Marcel Siem forgives his Open caddie’s problem and avoids making more mistakes

Marcel Siem has made one of the most surprising comebacks on the DP World Tour. Last year, the 44-year-old underwent hip surgery, after which he returned to the DP World Tour in May. But how has his comeback been? Since his return after surgery, he has struggled on the DP World Tour, failing to make two consecutive cuts: the Soudal Open and the European Open.

However, the Italian pro soon recovered from his injury and poor form. At the 2024 Italian Open, Siem was playing the third round and fighting hard for his sixth DP World Tour win. In the midst of that, Siem had a heated debate with his caddie, Wian Verster.

The two were seen arguing over which club to use for a particular shot. In the end, the Italian pro settled on his choice and birdied the hole, eventually making it to the final round to defeat Tom McKibbin. Did the two stay together even after the disagreement at the Italian Open? Thankfully, yes. After his victory at the Italian Open, Siem is there on the greens of Royal Troon for the 152nd Open with Verster.

The two have been together since the 2022 Dunhill Links, and even after the disagreement, Siem didn’t let his caddie go and forgave the bagman. Much like what Rory McIlroy did after the Pinehurst mishap. Not that McIlroy thought it was his caddie’s fault, but the golf world did. At Royal Troon, the Italian has been seen playing with Verster and looking to top the leaderboard for his first major win. The pair have been trying to make fewer bogeys and survive the 3-over-par cut line.

While it may be a daunting task, the duo could play better and end up winning, as they did at the Italian Open. From not winning on the European circuit for nine long years to scoring two victories in the last two years, Siem’s ​​journey has been inspiring but difficult. Not everything went so smoothly and the six-time DP World Tour winner had to overcome the terrible decision he made a decade ago.

What was Marcel Siem’s ​​biggest regret?

The 44-year-old’s career had taken a backseat in the 2018 season, as he had to return to the Challenge Tour after a poor showing on the DP World Tour. This surprising turn of events was the result of a decision Marcel Siem made in 2014. At the height of his career that year, the Italian pro was on the cusp of trading in his OWGR Top 50 ranking for something better.

However, after making a drastic decision, everything changed. Siem changed coaches in 2014 after winning the BMW Masters, as he did not want to stagnate in his career, but regretted it soon after. He said: “I tried a little Dustin Johnson style on the wrist and that ruined everything. I hurt my shoulder. I’m still struggling with that. That was the worst decision I ever made in my life.”

Now, a decade later, Siem has managed to bounce back from his mishap and has won three titles – one on the Challenge Tour at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge, which secured him a spot in the 2021 Open Championship, and two other times (the Hero Indian Open and the Italian Open) on the DP World Tour. Since then, Siem has tried to maintain his swing style and make it work. As is evident, it has worked for him twice in 2023 and 2024, and at the 152nd Open, it could help him once again!