15 Richest Golf Caddies Of All Time – A Look At Golf’s Best Caddies
Golf caddies help to make the game more enjoyable for the players that we love. A great golf caddy can make or break a round. It is interesting to think about life on the PGA Tour and what you will need to do to make it as a professional caddie.
Caddies, over time, have shown us that they can live the PGA Tour life just as well as the golfers on tour. However, caddies don’t make quite as much as the professionals; they certainly get their fair cut of every great tournament.
Let’s take a look at some of what a caddie does, how they can help a player, and how much some of these caddies are making right now.
What Are A Caddies Duties
As you probably already know, the main job of a golf caddy is to carry the bag of a player around the course. In addition, they are supposed to the player’s clubs clean and their belongings organized. Caddies are also supposed to give professionals the distances to the hole so that the player can get accurate results.
Another thing that the caddy must do is rake the bunkers and replace divots as a player goes through their round. The golfer is able to focus on their game, and the caddies are going to keep an eye on how things are going on the golf course.
How Much Can They Expect To Earn?
A caddy will earn a base salary and a percentage of the winnings that the player makes. This can add up to quite a bit of money when a player has a great week.
If a golfer wins a tournament, a caddy will make ten percent of the earnings of the player. For a top ten finish, a caddy will earn 7%, and for anything else, the caddy makes 5% of the earnings. Week in and week out, this will add up quite quickly. Most caddies will also have their travel expenses covered by the player as well.
Why Do They Earn So Much?
Caddies are the ultimate player support staff. Most golfers will admit that without their caddy, they would be in a very difficult position. The caddy helps with the daily tasks, but they help a player feel comfortable mentally as well.
The mental clarity and comfort that a player gets from having the same caddy week in and week out is essential and a major reason why they make so much. Most successful professional golfers are going to have no issues with paying their caddies quite a bit of money. They look at it as a team event.
| Rank | Caddy Name | Player Name | Yearly Payout for 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jimmy Johnson | Justin Thomas | $502,851 |
| 2 | Jonathan Jakovac | Collin Morikawa | $486,825 |
| 3 | Austin Johnson | Dustin Johnson | $472,600 |
| 4 | Paul Tesori | Webb Simpson | $417,595 |
| 5 | Adam Hayes | Jon Rahm | $374,625 |
| 6 | Tim Tucker | Bryson DeChambeau | $353,801 |
| 7 | Kessler Karain | Patrick Reed | $346,500 |
| 8 | Josh Cassell | Daniel Berger | $343,470 |
| 9 | Marc Kelly | Marc Leishman | $330,100 |
| 10 | Albin Choi | I’m Sung-jae | $278,085 |
| 11 | Mark Crane | Tyrrell Hatton | $287,400 |
| 12 | John Limanti | Adam Scott | $287,400 |
| 13 | Terry ‘T’ Walker | Andrew Landry | $245,500 |
| 14 | Sam Pinfold | Cameron Smith | $240,000 |
| 15 | Damien Lopez | Michael Thompson | $238,800 |
1. Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson is currently caddying for Justin Thomas, but he has a successful history on tour. Johnson worked for Charles Howell, Steve Stricker, Nick Price, and Adam Scott. Certainly, this is a great lineup of players.
Johnson grew up in Dallas, Texas, and played golf at the University of North Texas. His favorite place to caddy is a Ryder Cup, and we certainly can’t blame him. Before becoming a caddy, Jimmy spent time playing on a mini golf tour.
2. Jonathan Jakovac
Collin Morikawa has had quite the year. He is a fun player to watch, and it’s great to see him win; nobody likes seeing Colin win more than Jonathan Jakovac, his caddy.
Jakovac was a player before he became a caddy on the tour. After college, Jakovac didn’t make it through Z school.
Trying to stay in the golf business, he started caddying for Ryan Moore, and he did so for seven years. Jakovac has nothing but great things to say about Morikawa and the way he handles himself on tour. This partnership seems like it will last for many years.
3. Austin Johnson
Having a brother as excellent as Dustin Johnson is one of those life things that you can’t quite plan for. Austin Johnson is the caddie and brother of Dustin Johnson.
These brothers share a very strong bond, and it has helped them accomplish quite a bit on Tour.
Dustin attributes part of his success to the relationship he has with his brother and how they work together on the PGA Tour. With the way that Austin Johnson and Dustin Johnson have been performing, don’t be surprised to see these two at the top of these lists for years to come.
4. Paul Tesori
Paul Tesori was a former golfer that turned caddie. Currently, he is working with Webb Simpson, but this is not his first gig on tour.
Years ago, Tesori also caddied for Vijay Singh, Jerry Kelly, and Sean O’Hair as well.
Tesori is married and has one child. He is known to have a very good relationship with Webb, and they work well together on the tour. When Webb Simpson won the 2018 Players, Championship Tesori was on the bag.
5. Adam Hayes
Jon Rahm is a player that we have all come to know quite a bit about. Rahm has certainly made a splash in the golf world, and his caddy Adam Hayes has been an integral part of his success. Hayes is a very well-respected caddy on the PGA Tour, and he has been out there caddying for more than 20 years.
In the past, Hayes has worked for Jason Duffner, Russell Henley, Vaughan Taylor, and Ben Crane. Hayes has stayed at the top of the caddie earning charts for a number of years. If he stays on the bag of Rahm, chances are he will keep making plenty of money.
6. Tim Tucker
It takes a special person to caddie for Bryson Dechambeau. Bryson has a very specific way of playing the game, and the caddie that he chooses must be able to handle this and to work with Bryson throughout the round.
Tucker and Dechambaue have had a bit of an on and off relationship, and Tucker left the bag for about two years at one point. Bryson feels as though Tucker calms him down when necessary, and that is something that has proven to help Bryson keep his career moving onward and upward.
7. Kessler Karain
Although caddying for Patrick Reed may not seem like a dream job, it has worked out quite well for Kessler Karain. Patrick Reed had his wife caddying for him for years before she took off to raise their family.
Her younger brother stepped in to take over and has been there ever since. Kessler was not a caddie before he started working for Reed, and it took a bit of training, but he learned to really like it. He can play golf and knows the game well, so Reed trained him to work for his game.
8. Josh Cassell
Daniel Berger is young, but he is certainly doing a great job managing the PGA Tour at the moment. Josh Cassell has helped to make this a reality for Berger. Cassell is not new to the world of professional golf; he has worked for Dufner, Horschel, and Aaron Baddely, to name a few.
Cassell loves working on getting a player to the point of winning, and he loves the fight for a title. Cassell has not been with Berger for all that long, but the relationship seems to be going quite well.
9. Marc Kelly
Marc Kelly is the caddie for Marc Leishman. This relationship is a long one that has lasted over a decade. When a player and a caddie pair up like this for this many years, you know they have something working right.
Kelly and Leishman are friends, and they enjoy traveling and playing together. This is a caddy player relationship that will probably last for many more years.
10. Albin Choi
Albin Choi is not just a caddy; he is a great player as well. He is currently caddying for I’m Sung-jae and making some great money. However, many players on the PGA tour will tell you that Albin Choi could easily be the player that should be making it on the PGA Tour.
Choi was an incredible young golfer that had some struggles making it on tour and eventually had to take a caddie position. Choi has had some personal struggles in his life with his family, but he remains a very well respected player and caddie.
11. Mark Crane
Mark Crane is currently caddying for Tyrrell Hatton. Crane has a very impressive golf career and caddying career. Hatton is not the first bag that he has been on, and he has made a great living through the years caddying for a wide range of players.
Crane says that his best moments caddying was at the Ryder cups that he participated in. Certainly, we can understand that a Ryder Cup is something that is hard to beat!
12. John Limanti
John Limanti has a very impressive resume and has caddied for many players. Although he is currently on the bag for Adam Scott, he also worked for Kyle Stanley, Chris Kirk, Aaron Baddeley, and more.
Limanti grew up playing golf and played in college as well. Limanti is a caddie for life and loves being out on tour. He never really tried to make it on the Tour himself, instead, he chose the caddy life, and it has worked out quite well for him.
13. Terry ‘T’ Walker
Terry Walker has been caddying for over a decade, and he is currently working for Andrew Landry. In the past, he has worked for Lucas Lee and a few other players. Walker was a college tennis player that ended up pursuing a career in logistics.
He loved the PGA Tour and wanted to make it as a caddie for many years. After lots of work and plenty of networking, Walker finally made it.
14. Sam Pinfold
Cam Smith has done quite well this year with Sam Pinfold on the bag. Pinfold grew up playing golf and was quite good at it; however, he knew his game was not good enough for the PGA Tour.
Pinfold was called by an old golfing friend Brad Iles, and it kick started his career as a PGA Tour caddy. Pinfold is one of the more well-respected caddies on tour for his playing ability and respect for other players. Pinfold is an excellent caddie to have on the bag.
15. Damien Lopez
Damien Lopez is a caddie for Michael Thompson, but he has a long history of caddying on the PGA Tour. With almost twenty years on tour, Damien has worked for players including Notah Begay, JJ Henry, Stuart Appleby, and Blaine McCallister. Damien has made quite a nice living for himself on the tour.
Damien says that he loves caddying and the excitement that goes along with hit. He thinks that traveling is just an additional perk.
CONCLUSION
Being a caddie on the PGA Tour is not an easy job, but it is one that certainly seems enjoyable. If you have ever wondered if you can survive on a caddie’s salary, these guys should teach you that it won’t be an issue. Caddying certainly has its benefits if you enjoy a life on the road and you don’t mind not being the star of the show. For golfers that tried to make it on tour but didn’t quite have what it takes, caddying can make a perfect career.
Aidan Lehane is a serial entrepreneur and scratch golfer who loves to get out on the course as often as possible. Aidan loves testing out new golf products and bringing his views to the public. I am not a pro yet but my handicap is improving every year and the new equipment always helps!
