Undercover Caddie Mixing romance and work on tour can be a complicated affair Illustration by Madison Ketcham D o caddies on the LPGA Tour hook up with players? For the first time in my career, caddies are treated like people. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. I was floored when I heard about Matt Kuchar paying the local caddie five grand after he won $1.29 million in Mexico. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Every week on the PGA Tour there's a discrepancy over money. My player and I have an agreement, and its not the standard 8 to 10 percent of winnings in professional golf. My pals look at O.B. Undercover Caddie: Your player just won a major? Also, speaking of the mens tours . Golf's a business, and inevitably you're going to wind up in the same group with former coworkers. But if I see another golfer stuff three dozen ballsand in case youre wondering, the record is five dozeninto the side carriage, Im going to lose it. I know because I have worked both. That lawsuit, which we lost, did lead to a few improvements, including health care. If theres a problem with the off-the-course relationship, it can bleed into on-the-course performance. So, yeah, players and caddies see each other, no matter their gender or sexual orientation, both casually and seriously. They were not so much standing next to their bags as they were angled over them, their bodies overloaded by this invisible weight. And I've never heard of a caddie walking away because an offer was too low. You dont know how far you hit your irons. There are two groups golf nerds and pub crawlers. You dont have to work for one of those 14 LPGA Tour players to make a living, but it has to be a top-50 performer. This time I was the one who was envious. Youre always one week away from a six-figure paycheck and the security that brings. 38-11 Place du Commerce suite 611 Montral, Qubec, Canada. It can be an odd dynamic between a caddie, a player and a player's wife. No offense to anyone who does this full-time, but its a blow to my ego to have to grab a holiday UPS route because my main gig isnt enough. You know how many times a PGA Tour executive did that in all my years on tour? You have the emotional intelligence of a puppy. Forgive me for laughing at my fellow PGA Tour caddies anytime I hear them talk about financial hardships. Why dont I talk about the subject when most people ask? These days, $1,300 to $1,800 per week is a typical base salary on the PGA Tour. But there's no guarantee that caddie will be back. If a guy can get those . RELATED:#JUPLIFE: Behind the scenes of pro golf's coolest town. Aside from money and security, theres also the socialisation aspect, or lack of it. But tour officials still looked at us as disposable, that we should be lucky a player has taken us along for the ride. They'll say, "What's the weight?" These women are already sexualized to a degree their male counterparts arent. To a lot of us, its an opportunity we cant afford to pass up. The media asks more questions about that than about the golf. The players are women in their late teens to early 30s. People might think the job is all fun, but there arent as many laughs working at the course as you might think. Its the psychological hurdle of signing up to be a vagabond. Last time I got the heave-ho was a couple years ago. Does that sound melodramatic? Coaches rarely make an appearance. It does happen, but I dont attribute this to cultural differences. The other questions I get are about the financials and competition. You also have to be respectful of other caddies, for they might think you could eventually replace them. Im going to miss it.. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, What players actually think about tour events with no fans. We are by no means athletes, but our work is a workout. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. I used to embrace the travel, especially when visiting a city or area for the first time. Stroke and distance on out-of-bounds. A human body can take only so many coach seats and couch pull-outs. I just want to love golf again. Multiple times I've had caddies who worked for me previously call to say their new boss hasn't paid them in a while, and might I nudge that player? JOEL BEALL ONE OF MY first events 30 years ago was the PGA Tour's old Tucson Open. Turns out the private guys get it: All money is dirty, and you do what you can to get it. Promotional Rates were found for your code. I get this question a lot, and. How is it workling at LIV Golf? Undercover Caddie: Mixing romance and work on tour can be a complicated affair - Australian Golf Digest December 19th, 2022 Undercover Caddie: Mixing romance and work on tour can be a complicated affair By Undercover Caddie with with Joel Beall Do Caddies on the LPGA Tour hook up with players? Thats what a caddie told me when I started looping on the LPGA Tour a decade ago. A lot of prime courses are on or by the water, so expect three seasons in one day. You shouldnt be a caddie if you cant make that read. Took a hell of a lot of willpower not to toss his clubs into the fescue. You can build tenure and make a living as an LPGA Tour caddie. I remember seeing caddies who looked beat up. That Im not swimming in cash isnt helping my prospects either. Im right in that range where I have a lot of experience, but Im not so old where Im a dinosaur to players in their 20s. If we have a non-LIV event after our LIV commitment, they arrange for our transportation there, too. Arm-guard sleeves look ridiculous, but they keep our arms cool and unburned. Don't know if that is who he is talking about or not. My freshman year was very rough. That's what a caddie told me when I started looping on the LPGA Tour a decade ago. It's an eight-second conversation to say, $1,500 for the week, 5 percent of a made cut, 7 percent of a top 10, 10 percent for a win, you'll get a check at the end of the weekwhich, by the way, is the most common deal out here. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. Let the good times roll Those are your two options after work: find a local course to get some swings in or find the nearest tap, preferably near a TV. Feb 24, 2023 Updated Feb 24, 2023. For his sake, I hope that atmosphere comes. Even during final rounds there are crowds, but they dont know what theyre watching. Spread out over 250 acres amidst the Appalachian Mountains, the fairways bob and weave through wildly rugged terrain and Dyes graceful earth sculptures. No matter what country youre from, youre going to lean heavily on your parents at this age. Last year when the Byron Nelson moved to Trinity Forest, I called ahead to reserve a local, and it worked out great. I just really liked everything about it and Im excited to get there, she said. What fans might not realize, though, is that it's a two-way street. But it has become a grind. As for job security, yes, caddies on the LPGA Tour get fired with greater frequency than the caddies on most mens tours. Or not. As a guy who's won on some big stages, a moment like this can ring your bell. But her mother, Collette, knew right away. Im not trying to justify it, but I will say two things: One, this year is a trial year. Did my fellow caddie think I wasnt taking this seriously? I thought the public guys would be more understanding. Now youre adding time off the course. My bud took a week off work to hang with me. Its all about how you manage the pain. ", New Zealands Top 50 Golf Courses 2019/20, 5 great reasons to put Bonville at the top of your list in 2023, Course flyover: The Western Australian Golf Club. GOLF DIGEST MAY EARN A PORTION OF SALES FROM PRODUCTS THAT ARE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR SITE AS PART OF OUR AFFILIATE PARTNERSHIPS WITH RETAILERS. Undercover Caddie: Looping for LIV Golf has been the best experience of my career October 04, 2022 How is it workling at LIV Golf? So why do I do it? It used to be a steady rotation of dollar burgers and deli meat. These guys get canned all the time. If a guy can get those two things right, I can do the rest. Still, given what I do for a living, Im the subject of envy in social settings, and Id be lying if I said the attention didnt feel good. My first 10 years, I would room with so many caddies that I was lucky to get a bed at all, much less one to myself. Said he moves his mark and doesn't put the ball in the same spot that he marked it. I never thought Id get a chance to play college golf.. That lack of consistency can affect your body and your sleep. I got nothing of his signing bonus to join LIV, either, but Im still taking home life-changing money and will get a cut of all the team and season-ending bonuses. The caddies with the top 30 players make decent money; you have to be in the top 10 to make good money. He said he knew an available caddie he thought I'd work well with, at least for the week, so I wasn't completely in the lurch. Look at your workplace; Im guessing the cliques are more age-related than you might think. For one, youre adding a physical and emotional layer to the player-caddie dynamic. Id say upward of 120 regular caddies struggle with bills. A club caddie needs to be reminded of only two things: On tour, bunkers need to be raked flawlessly, and the caddie of the last player putting out replaces the flagstick. Thats no way to treat people, especially on a golf course. The Pete Dye Golf Club is a perfect venue to host your meeting. Some players pay "5-7-10" (5 percent of a check for a made cut, 7 percent for a top-10 finish and 10 percent for a win), though 8 percent across the board is becoming more common. I get this question a lot, and if its not a close friend, Ill usually ignore it because if I say yes, salacious questions always follow. I was shocked. But if youre drawn to finesse and strategy, this is where its at. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. Its a tight group out herewithout the flunkies and minions that you see on the PGA Tour. As we've mentioned in this space before, caddies are always one bad tournament, round, shot or decision away from being replaced. RELATED: Undercover Caddie: What happens when your player wins a major You don't know how far you hit your irons. But please stop standing around and watching your playing partners. Plenty of caddies have families though, so its an equation I havent solved. Everywhere I go someone is asking, How can we help you? or What can we do better?. Whatever momentum you might have is broken by a three to four week stretch when youre gone. I want to be able to watch the Masters and not be filled with dread that were not there. By the way, speaking of business, the PGA Tour somehow found more than $100 million for its Player Impact Program, bonuses and bigger purses, yet they cant find $1 million or so in travel per diems to be spread out among caddies? Theres more strategy than just bombing it 350 yards. Transformed from a coal mine in the magnificent Appalachian Mountains, this 7,248 yard par-72 championship course features 18 unforgettable holes with panoramic vistas, coal cars, Pete Dyes signature land sculpting and even a 200-foot mine shaft walkway. I respect the opinions of those who want to stay away from LIV because of its complicated and controversial ties. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. If I give you a bad read, Ill let you know it. And I wanted to go there.. Their relationship had been deteriorating for a while, and people knew it. Forget money; its difficult to have a strong relationship when youre away that often. I made more cuts than I missed that season, but by my standards, I was in a slump. Here are some things to work on: Youre too slow. Some caddies overestimate their importance, and it'll take a rookie a full year to realize he's being over-caddied. We love what we do, but when you have bad weeks or things arent going well, it can weigh on your mental health. Flying isnt easy; neither are eight-hour road trips. Undercover Caddie - Australian Golf Digest October 13th, 2020 Undercover Caddie By Undercover Caddie I was taught to never ask anyone how much money they make. I think the guy saved me two shots, which was worth a lot of money for me (and him) that week. I know that a mid-career crisis is normal in any profession, so Im not doing anything drastic yet, but Im realizing that my career in golf is hurting how I feel about golf. The LPGA prides itself inbeing a family experience,and that includes us. She went out there and worked hard in the offseason, which is what it really takes if you want to be really good.. Same goes for discussions about business, family, politics and sports. Undercover Caddie Golf Digest Middle East | June 2021 Think you could carry a 40-pound bag for a living? These days, $1,300 to $1,800 per week is a typical base salary on the PGA Tour. The player ultimately decided we shouldnt work together. WITH JOEL BEALL, RELATED:Why a tour caddie is always one round away from being fired. Undercover Caddie Your player just won a major? More infuriating is when a player hits a good shot and acts like my buddy again, as if what happened before didnt happen. Im still renting a condo because I cant afford to buy. Mixing romance and work on tour can be a complicated affair. We shook hands, then I grabbed my bag and carried it to the car. with Joel Beall. However, as much as weve enjoyed it, even my player admitted to me during one event, This is strange, isnt it? Hes a guy who doesnt need an atmosphere to play well (and some guys need an atmosphere to play well, and I think you know who they are), but he does enjoy it. Obviously, the risk is getting saddled with a goofy personality for five days. Yet people are endlessly fascinated with our bank accounts. But on the LPGA Tour, it really is a team. Your current subscription does not provide access to this content. If you do it right, you can have a good time in the process. we thought. We stopped. I appreciate where youre coming from, but Ive seen bad, brother. The player was dealing with trust issues with her caddie at the time, and she trusted me. The truth is that it happens, and theres nothing salacious about it. The daughter of two educators, she values the education aspect of college as much as the athletics and for her, finding the right fit was the most important thing. meaning how much will they get paid. Id be lying if I said I hadnt felt a backlashjust not how I expected. As I mentioned, most of this is happening among 20-somethings. One of my first events 30 years ago was the PGA Tours old Tucson Open. We also have a weekly fee of $1,000 to $1,300, and we work 25 times a year. I asked myself the same questions when my player signed up and asked me to join, and I came to this conclusion: Im a globetrotter, and Ive seen the best and the worst of people across the world. Within a month I realised he was just telling it like it is. However, LPGA Tour caddies are already hired and fired at an exponential rate compared to other tours. Winds light and variable.. A clear sky. But if you enjoy meeting new people, it's fun and economical. There's wiggle room in the weekly rate if it's a Web.com event or I have a local caddie who hasn't incurred travel expensesbut I believe those percentages are sacrosanct. Let the good times roll. When I was starting out, several vets warned me to pace myself with how I handled myself socially away from the course. When Grace Bronkella visited the campus of Davis & Elkins College she wasn't sure if the West Virginia school was going to be the right fit for her. Foyer and meeting spaces feature floor to ceiling windows with spectacular views. There are obstacles. Because the players are younger, theyre more willing to listen, more eager to seek help. I've been out to dinner with Matt and know him as a witty, stand-up guy. That might be OK if youre single but not if youre supporting a family. Its not a dead-end job; I just dont see much upside. As for the long-term one, we talked about me working for her. He's Golf Digest's trained professional golfer. I told him I couldn't stop him from taking it. The gorgeous and historical ambiance of Pete Dye Golf Club is unrivaled in West Virginia, and beyond. I am grateful the player thought it through. It's hard to miss extended time for major surgery unless your player tells you your spot will be there when you return. With fewer agents and managers in the womens game, parents have a larger role. If I want a wife, kids and a house, I dont know if this is the way to get there. I get asked this every day now, usually by other caddies and typically by text. Make a date with our event coordinator to book a flexible meeting space to accommodate groups of many sizes. I respond the same way: Its f***ing great. Players and caddies on the PGA and European tours dont hang out as much as you might think, but on the LPGA Tour, that socialisation is almost non-existent. And, to be honest, you dont look like a pro two-strapping it. When Grace Bronkella visited the campus of Davis & Elkins College she wasnt sure if the West Virginia school was going to be the right fit for her. We'd had some bad weeks, but I didn't see this coming. After 30 years, my mind and body have a few scars, but I still love it. The massage-therapy guns help, but nothing is better for your body than a few laps in the hotel pool. There are probably 15 or 20 very top players who pay their caddie an annual salary, with bonuses sprinkled here and there. (One time a woman said she was going through a divorce, and her competitor nodded and said, For the life of me, I cant keep this 5-iron out of the wind.) Golf is an individual game, but if you let it, it can be a communal experience. She wasnt always out there posting things or showing people how hard she worked. #87 on Golf Digests ranking of Americas 100 Greatest Courses and #33 on Golfweeks ranking of the Best Modern Courses, Pete Dye Golf Club ingeniously weaves mining remnants and rambunctious terrain into a course that tempts and tests you from the opening tee shot to your final putt. Also, even if youre playing at your home course, you should have rain gear in the bag. Better players will be here, and they will have a better understanding of how the team aspect works. People are waiting for us at the airport. A club caddie needs to be reminded of only two things: On tour, bunkers need to be raked flawlessly, and the caddie of the last player putting out replaces the flagstick. RELATED: Undercover Caddie: The hardships of tour life. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Being in the sun six times a week can wreck your skin if youre not careful. 2023 Australian Golf Digest. And it's important to remember that caddies live under way more uncertainty than players, so you really can't begrudge any decision they make. You wont have job security, and youre not going to make much money. That goes for a round at a bucket-list venue or your Tuesday night work league. For the first time in my career, caddies are treated like people. Another reason I stay is Im not sure what the alternative would be. You can bet Kuchar's Mexican caddie was a bundle of spirit. Forget finding someone to settle down with. All the laughter and good times Ive had with my fellow caddies more than compensates for the physical toll of looping all these years. Its impossible to count how many players, many of whom I had for just 18 holes, send me cards and gifts during the holidays. If Im being honest, part of what keeps me around is the hope that I can, eventually, jump on a new bag. But her mother, Collette, knew right away. Pete Dye Golf Club: One of the masters of the modern era of golf design, Pete Dye worked his legendary alchemy to transform a former coal mine in the mountains of West Virginia into a stunningly beautiful and engaging course that ranks among his greatest works. Stop blaming your caddie. Also, its not any secret that the parents have more involvement with the players than they do on the mens tours. Splitting a housesometimes even a roomwith three other caddies is great in your 20s, but in your 40s, that gets old. What would happen if we broke up (and we eventually did)? If I make a paycheck, he's getting the same percentage I'd give a full-time caddie. Hotels are paid for. Stop apologizingand lying. For Bronkella, it was the culmination of a long journey that saw her struggle her first time on the links as a freshman but end her high school career as the Madison Courier Girls Golfer of the Year. One thing that doesnt come into play is the power imbalance that can exist in workplace relationships. Undercover Caddie: Why do we accept jobs from players with commitment issues? Winds light and variable. Instead of changing the lives of that man's family, a much bigger chunk will go to the government. She's really cool, though I've seen some wives get ripping mad when they feel their husband has been relieved with inconvenient timing. Here's your answer. Before I tell you what you get wrong, let me start by telling you what you get right: You tip well. Officially, it was about not being compensated for serving as walking billboards for tournament sponsors, but really it was about being treated with respect. I'm not going to skewer him further, because the media already has (rightly, prompting Kuchar to up the pay to $50,000), but I will add how little sense it made from a tax perspective.