You probably just settled in for a nice day of watching golf. It's a relatively stress-free viewing experience compared to other sports. There's something so relaxing about the quiet commentary and the beautiful venues that almost appear fake in their perfection.
Yet in between watching those long drives and miracle putts sink, there's one question that just can't escape your mind. The golfers walk around for days with some other person holding their equipment -- consulting them on every little detail. But how much do the caddies get paid?
From there, you seek out the help of the almighty Google or any other search engine that will do the trick. The problem is, good luck finding anything concrete. On the bright side, we can turn to former caddies for help. Despite their assistance, in the world of golf, an estimate on the subject seems to be the best we can get.
On the surface, caddies are only around the carry the bag of clubs, wipe them down and get in an afternoon of cardio. However, they also provide analysis and knowledge of the course, reading the greens and communicating distance. They are an invaluable tool for golfers, much more than just a passenger.
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The Sporting News takes a look at the information surrounding caddies pay.
How much do Masters caddies get paid?
The commonly held belief is that most caddies make around $1,500 to $3,000 per tournament. In addition to that, each caddie has a negotiated deal with the golfer to be paid a percentage of their winnings. While there are general parameters around those agreements, compensation ultimately is determined on a case-by-case basis between player and caddie.
However, as far as percentage goes, it is estimated that most of the compensation is between 5 and 10 percent of whatever the golfer takes home from a given event.
That means the both the golfer and caddie have a lot on the line each week. Unlike in many other sports, the paycheck in each event is tied to results. Therefore in golf, it truly is a bottom-line business.
ESPN analyst Michael Collins, a former caddie, spoke on Chris Long's Green Light podcast in 2021 about the topic.
"Caddies get a regular weekly paycheck because caddies have to pay for all of their own expenses, airfare, hotel, rental car, food, that’s all on the caddie," Collins said. "So, they get a weekly paycheck from the player, and then you get a percentage of what the player wins if they make the cut."
He continued with some more details about percentages.
"And it’s normally, the base is 10% for a win, 7% for a top-10, and 5% for everything else. But, that number is negotiated between every player and caddy. There’s no such thing as a contract between player and caddy.”
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According to Golf Digest on March 17, Ted Scott — Scottie Scheffler's caddie — was already approaching $1 million in earnings for 2023 before his 2022 Masters win. With Scheffler earning over $11.6 million last year, it seems as though the 5- to 10-percent rate for caddies mostly adds up. In this case of Scott, perhaps he earned even more than the standard 10 percent share.
The 2023 Masters winner — Jon Rahm — took home $3.24 million. If the 10 percent estimate hold, then his caddie, Adam Hayes, would've been $340,000 richer for his efforts over the four-day event. In 2024, the winnings for the champion are expected to be the same, meaning someone is in for a nice payday.
Based on this information, there might be a lot more aspiring caddies out there hoping for a day on the links with a professional golfer.
