Kenny Perry replaces caddie with son

Inside the caddie ranks on the PGA Tour there's a dark joke about the "MCI Plan." You know, sign up your friends and family.

Fred Sanders, who has worked for Kenny Perry for six years, got an unwanted taste of that gallows humor first-hand Sunday when Perry hired his son, Justin, and let Sanders go. Sanders said he had been on the bag for 11 of Perry's 14 tour titles as well as winning stints on the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.

"It's a tough one. There's a lot I want to say, but I don't burn bridges. I'm just very disappointed," said Sanders, who was in Boston for the Deutsche Bank Championship to "get his face out there."

Sanders, who lives in Aurora, Colo., has been a caddie for 22 years, and also been on the winning bag of Russ Cochran at the 1991 Western Open and Robert Damron at the 2001 Byron Nelson Classic. Perry, 49, made the change despite not missing a cut since the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii. He had to withdraw from the '08 PGA because of an eye injury, but otherwise he's cashed in 45 of his last 47 starts, including all 21 this year. Perry has triumphed twice in '09, at the FBR Open and the Travelers Championship.

"It was a great run. I'm sorry to see it end," Sanders said. "I understand some of it, but it's tough to swallow. Kenny is a great guy, and I wish him the best. Now I have to move on and hope I can catch on somewhere else."

-- Dave Shedloski