JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Greg Rita, the caddie for Curtis Strange when he won successive U.S. Open titles and for John Daly when he won the British Open, has died of brain cancer.
Rita died Saturday on his 54th birthday at McGraw Hospice Center, said his wife, Kelley.
Rita caddied in four decades on the PGA Tour, working for such players as Gil Morgan, Scott Hoch, David Duval and Mark O’Meara.
Rita made his mark working for Strange in the 1980s. Strange won the U.S. Open in 1988 and 1989, becoming the first repeat winner in nearly 40 years. Rita also was on the bag at St. Andrews in 1995 when Daly won his second major.
Rita collapsed at a Champions Tour event in September 2007. Two months later, he underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. He is survived by his wife and 4-year-old son, Nicolas.
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