Masters 2024: Do Caddies of Pros That Didn’t Make the Cut Get Paid?
One of the most renowned competitions in professional golf is the Masters Tournament. The legendary Augusta National Golf Club draws the best players in the world along with their caddies. The $20 million prize purse is just a bonus at the competition; the real prize is the highly coveted Green Jacket! The cash prize, honor, and jacket are all for the pro; what do caddies get? Do they just carry the bags and give advice? Especially of those players who fail to make the cut?
The Masters, like the majority of professional golf tours, does not pay directly to the caddies. First, their weekly salaries are negotiated with the golfer, and second, the share of the winnings they get. So, if the player fails to make it to the weekend, their caddies don’t receive a share of the player’s winnings since there aren’t any. The weekly salaries come in handy because the golfers have to pay for their own travel and accommodation expenses when caddying at ANGC.
A portion of the golfer’s earnings provides for a larger payout. Depending on how the golfer finishes, the percentage changes. The prize money is split as follows: around 5% goes to caddies whose pros have finished above T3, 7% in the case of the runner-up, and 10% in the case of the winner. Despite the chances of not getting any payment or an extremely negligible payment, the caddies still like to work at Augusta!
How does it feel to caddy at Augusta?
Caddying at the Masters is a unique experience, as Ken Martin, who caddied for Scottish golfer Sandy Lyle last year, mentioned. He said that the “caddies are treated really great at Augusta.” The loopers are given their locker rooms and are fed “just wonderful food—the best food.”
Masters is tiring; everyone knows it; with course scouting, practice rounds, a par-3 contest, and four actual days of completion. Indeed, it is “a long week,” for caddies too. It is imperative to be healthy and “fit to get around that hilly course,” said Martin.
