It’s one of the crucial fashionable questions in golf: how a lot does a PGA Tour caddie earn?
You hear it exterior the ropes on the Open. You hear it in clubhouse bars. You hear it on the pub.
“How a lot does a PGA Tour caddie earn?”
It ought, additionally, to be requested – “What do they really do?”
As a result of we all know they carry the bag, however we additionally know there’s much more to it than that.
What does a golf caddy really do?
In fact, as soon as upon a time a participant needed yardages, golf equipment stored clear (and dry), and the odd little bit of shrewd recommendation about wind, membership choice, or the road of the following putt.
These stay a key a part of the job, however there’s additionally a lot extra to it, as nicely.
The caddie could be anticipated to organise the transport of golf equipment from one event to the following. Possibly not by carrying them him or herself, but when a van is doing the transporting the bag will must be on that journey – and the caddie must guarantee it.
The caddie can even have to be sure that throughout the week the bag is kitted out with all of the meals, vitamins and liquids required.
Liaisons with tools producers and possibly additionally teaching, information and administration employees is a given.
On the vary, a spot wants bagging, balls want discovering, golf equipment want cleansing, alignment sticks want lining up, possibly swings want evaluation and spirits want bolstering.
On the course, and off it, caddies more and more must be map makers, quantity crunchers, psychologists and mates.
The times are lengthy and the weeks are lengthy. It’s a multi-dimensional position with lengthy hours throughout event weeks blended in with extra off-time than a typical job.
How a lot can a golf caddy earn?
In 2024, the caddie of Ben Silverman, a PGA Tour journeyman, revealed precisely what he had earned.
Bryan Kopsick goes by the title of InvestingCaddy on X and he revealed that his customary weekly retainer was $2,000.
He additional defined that he will get 8% of Silverman’s earnings. He then broke this right down to (24 x £2,000) + ($1,262,599 x 0.08).
That turns into $24,000 + $101,007.92 = $149,007.92
He added: “This doesn’t embody sponsorship/off beam earnings OR journey bills.”
Forecasting my whole journey/skilled bills to be ~$50,000 for the 12 months.”
Which places his earnings for the 12 months at round $100,000.
However he additionally identified that Silverman had performed the earlier three seasons on the second-tier Korn Ferry Tour the place his earnings have been:
2021- $74,8902022- $23,9362023- $522,828
“It’s laborious!” he wrote. “We missed like 7 of my first 9 cuts collectively and after bills I believe Ben and I each misplaced cash. Misplaced $ my first 2ish years doing it. I’m so grateful to have held on and had assist system at dwelling to let me do that loopy factor.
“I spent about $32,000 on KFT final 12 months and that’s with plenty of free housing and fewer occasions. Yardage books are further expense plus housing. Flights are just a little extra as a result of I do deal with myself if the worth is true to a greater seat.”
As a result of Kopsick understands social media he then answered a sequence of questions.
When requested about journey he revealed that: “Some (caddies) tag alongside on (participant’s personal jets) without spending a dime however 99.9% of us are flying on our personal dime commercially.
“As soon as this 12 months we received caught throughout the Delta outage and I received on the personal airplane without spending a dime. First time I’d ever finished that … it was fairly cool.”
He defined that the worst day is Monday as a result of it requires journey to the course and night walks to familiarize yourself with the course and the event web site.
One follower requested concerning the 8% as a result of he’d heard of an oft-quoted rule of 5% for a standard week, 7% for a prime 10 and 10% for a win.
He replied: “All what the participant needs to pay. Ben is a superb man.”
Somebody requested: “I assume my query is two-fold: 1) Are you cheerful? 2) Do you are feeling this wage is truthful?”
He answered: “1. F**ok sure I’m. I’ve the best job in your entire world 2. Oh sure I do. Past truthful. I’ve zero professional golf expertise and may eat ice cream the night time earlier than a spherical.”
So what about this 12 months?
Silverman has performed 21 occasions and earned $426,906 so he’s down on final 12 months’s effort.
Kopsik could have earned $42,000 + $34,152 which involves $76,152.
However that’s not counting his bills which, let’s remembers, is about $50,000.
It’s additionally value making an allowance for that there’s a huge further not but factored in: profitable. As famous above, gamers historically up the proportion to 10% when he wins.
It’s why many have estimated that in 2024 Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, earned over $5 million – however that, in fact, is as a result of he was looping for a really particular golfer.
Utilizing the 5/7/10% rule, Scheffler received $55,228,357 in 2024 and which means Scott took dwelling $5,338,318.
Learn subsequent: Revealed: The thriller $10m PGA Tour man who quietly out-earned Tiger
