Caddies Outshine Golfers... Now Attracting Sponsors Too

Scheffler’s Caddie Scott Earned $5 Million Last Year
Caddie Incentives Follow the “10-7-5” Model
Jennyking, Valspar, and Saks Sign Sponsorship Deals with Caddies

The status of tour caddies is steadily rising. Now, there are even "wealthy caddies" earning as much as the players themselves.

A prime example is Ted Scott, the caddie for world number one Scotty Scheffler of the United States. This year, Scott and Scheffler have demonstrated exceptional teamwork, achieving seven victories together, including a Masters win. Last year alone, Scott earned about 5 million dollars (approximately 7 billion won), which is on par with being ranked 20th on the PGA Tour's prize money list. In other words, only 19 players earned more than Scott. Even Korean players such as Kim Siwoo and Kim Joohyung earned less prize money than Scott.

Caddies Outshine Golfers... Now Attracting Sponsors Too

Teddy Scott (right), caddie of world number one Scotty Scheffler, is the most successful "wealthy caddie" on the PGA Tour. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Scott's earnings remain strong this year. According to Sporting News in the United States, he earned about 1.92 million dollars (2.7 billion won) through July, which exceeds the average income of PGA Tour players (about 1.73 million dollars). The UK’s Daily Mail estimated that Scott has earned approximately 11 billion won over the past four years. These results reflect his role as Scheffler’s top-tier assistant. For reference, Scheffler himself has earned nearly 100 million dollars (about 139.6 billion won) in prize money alone on the PGA Tour.

The "original emperor caddie" is Steve Williams, who was by Tiger Woods’ side. From 1999 to 2011, over 12 years, they achieved 72 wins together, including 13 major championships. Each year, Williams earned more than 1 million dollars and received valuable rewards such as cars that Woods was awarded, amassing an impressive collection of prizes.

Caddie Steve Williams (right) is the 'original emperor caddie' who achieved 72 wins together with Tiger Woods. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Most PGA Tour caddies are former professional golfers. Their role goes far beyond simply carrying clubs-they are responsible for measuring distances, advising on swings, and reading greens, all requiring high levels of course understanding and analytical skills. The contract fee per tournament ranges from 1,500 to 4,000 dollars, and the more prominent the player, the higher the weekly pay for the caddie. However, being a caddie also comes with annual expenses of about 50,000 dollars for travel, accommodation, meals, and transportation. The real core of their income is incentives. The standard "10-7-5" contract means caddies receive 10% of the prize money for a win, 7% for a top-10 finish, and 5% for making the cut.

Recently, caddies have found various ways to earn money. They have gained public recognition by appearing in the Netflix series "Full Swing" and by running their own media channels. As a result, sponsors have begun to recognize the commercial value of caddies. The PGA Tour also operates a compensation program for caddies worth 1 million dollars, awarding bonuses based on a points system. There are also exclusive events and sponsorship benefits for caddies.

The presence of caddies is also growing in the sponsorship market. Since caddies of successful players often appear on broadcast screens, they become attractive advertising platforms for sponsors. In fact, Williams received sponsorships from Nike Golf and TAG Heuer, and later signed a deal with the oil brand Valvoline, displaying its logo on his shirt.

Since 2015, cleaning company Jennyking has been sponsoring towels for caddies. Starting with just 12, more than 150 caddies now use Jennyking towels. Sponsorship through apparel is also ongoing. Last year, five PGA Tour caddies-Geno Bonnalie (Joel Dahmen), Aaron Flener (J.T. Poston), John Limanti (Akshay Bhatia), Joel Stock (Will Zalatoris), and John Ellis (Wyndham Clark)-signed sponsorship deals with Saks to wear their clothing during tournaments.

One of the most popular sponsors is paint company Valspar. Since 2014, Valspar has given bonuses to caddies who wear their hats during PGA Tour events. The average payment is known to be between 5,000 and 8,000 dollars, with the possibility of earning more depending on the golfer’s performance. If a caddie wears a hat other than Valspar’s, they are immediately disqualified from the caddie incentive plan.