Caddies play a crucial role in the context of the professional game and their proximity to the sport's best players means they're ideally placed to lift the lid on the various goings on around the world of golf.
Here, the 'Secret Tour Caddie' – whose new book offers a fascinating insight into LIV Golf, player behaviour, the complexity of the job, life on the DP World Tour and much more – gives his view on a host of topics...
What has been your best moment as a caddie? Winning a tournament in my (then) player’s home country. To win in front of his home crowd was super special: I just remember thinking how much it meant, not just to him personally, but to all his family and support network from when he was an up-and-coming junior. Like I say, a pretty special moment. I think I’m also right in saying that he even remembered to say something nice about me in his winner’s speech, and that I was pretty sure he meant it (see the acknowledgements section in the book).
Why do you think there are so few female caddies on the DP World Tour? Basically becoming a tour caddie is not an obvious career path for females. But it’s important to say upfront there is absolutely nothing socially, politically or physically that restricts this. And in my time on tour the number of females caddying professionally across all the world’s golf tours is increasing each year, and there is no reason why this number won’t continue to increase. There is genuinely no construct that prevents anyone from doing our job. And if you ever come across anyone who suggests there is, they’re being disingenuous.
Out of the world's best players, who do you think is the nicest person? Tommy Fleetwood by a mile.
How many players you've worked with (past or present) would you describe as genuine friends? Tricky one. Ask most tour caddies and they’ll tell you that they’re “friendly” with everyone they’ve ever caddied for, even after they ended up being “fired” by them. And I’m no different. To the extent that It’s nice to see someone I’ve caddied for in the past doing well, and not nice to see them struggling. But of these, personally I’d only describe a very very select few as “genuine friends.” However, if you asked some of my colleagues the same question, you’d get a very different answer. And tales of incredible friendships, being treated like one of the family, and some amazing family holidays to corners of the earth most people never get to visit.
Do you think some players look down on caddies and don't treat them with appropriate respect? Short answer: yes. But just some. And those that do tend to be from a certain geographical region, and that’s because they have a chip on their shoulder, usually labelled entitlement. In my experience, and I’m not alone here, those from further south of this geographical region don’t look down on their caddies, or caddies in general.
What's the difference between the top pros and the ones who don't quite make it? The top pros accept adversity in all corners. You are never entitled to that lucky bounce. You are owed nothing from the game. The minute you start to think you’re “better” than your fellow pro, you WILL fail. I also don’t think golf fans – or even some amateurs with aspirations of turning pro – understand how much work tour pros put in behind the scenes. If the very best players on the planet work on their game for four to five hours every day (and they do), then you’d better be working twice as hard.
Have you ever witnessed any tour pros cheating? Personally no. Of course tour pros will try and use the rules to their advantage, for example to try and get advantageous drops. Who wouldn’t do this ? And that’s why there are referees out there each week on tour every week to regulate it. And on the DP World Tour we’re lucky to have some of the very best in the world.
Would mic'ing up all players and caddies work? I think anyone who reads the book will begin to understand how hard the job actually is. So no-one needs to hear the in-between conversations when stuff doesn’t go right. And we certainly don’t need to be reminded of them. So, no. Absolutely not.
Players and caddies aren't allowed to bet on tournaments they're involved in, but does this happen? The reason tour caddies are not allowed to bet on tournaments is NOT because we could potentially alter the outcome – that’s actually impossible and anyone who suggests it is, is pretty stupid – but because we just know that much more about the game, the players and the courses we’re playing on. And allowing us to bet armed with this knowledge would be open season on the betting firms for us. Hence why there are sophisticated systems in place to ensure we don’t. So we don’t.
What percentage of DP World Tour caddies do you think would like to be on LIV Golf? 100% of DP World Tour caddies would like to be on LIV Golf. Daft question!
What's the most controversial thing you've seen in all your years as a caddie?
I cover this in the Shut the F••k Up chapter in the book. I happened to be in the locker room when the guy came in with what looked like a cigarette burn mark on his arm: it’s a sight I’ll never forget.
The Secret Tour Caddy, A Year in the Life of a Professional Caddy on the European and PGA Golf Tours, by Anonymous (Pitch Publishing) February 2024, £14.99 – available at all good bookshops.
