Best Player-Caddie Partnerships
There is no one template which fits the best player-caddie partnerships. Some players merely want their caddie to “turn up, keep up and shut up”; others want their caddies to read their putts and chose the club for the next shot. Some just want their caddie to have all the yardages and, perhaps, some food and drink for them stashed away in the bag.
“To be a successful caddie,” counsels one of the best caddies there has been, Fanny Sunesson, “you have to be precise and you have to know golf. Most importantly you have to know what to say at the right time."
Some players openly acknowledge that they would not have won particular tournaments without their caddie’s help. Sometimes this is reassurance in moments of uncertainty, or a pep talk at just the right time. But sometimes it is simply because the caddie knows the course and the player does not, so the caddie is the one devising the strategy on a shot-shot-by-shot basis.
So we look at some of the best player-caddie partnerships that there have been.
Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Finnis
When Tommy Fleetwood struck a run of poor form, he decided to make some changes to his team. One of these was to ask Ian Finnis, one of his oldest and closest friends, to caddy to him. Finnis was an assistant club professional at Formby Hall, where Fleetwood was a member, and had caddied for Fleetwood in some amateur events, such as the English Amateur which Fleetwood had won. Finnis accepted on a temporary basis. Over a decade later the two were still in tandem.
Tony Finau and Ryan Smith
When Tony Finau needed someone to stand in for his regular caddie, he called an old childhood friend and golfing partner. This was billionaire businessman, Ryan Smith. “When Tony calls, you go. He doesn't ask for a lot,” explained Smith. “I've been next to him as an amateur partner when he's in contention on the Old Course, so I know his game well enough and his temperament. But hauling a 50-pound bag around is hard work. I'm exhausted.”
Gary Player and Eddie McCoy
McCoy was a caddie at Augusta National who carried Player’s bag when the South African won in 1974. In 1978 McCoy greeted Player: “Mr Player we’ve got to win, I’m in a trouble and I need a new house.” Player recalls: “I don't know what kind of trouble Eddie was in, but when I came from seven shots behind to win on Sunday, you've never seen a man as happy as Eddie was."
Tiger Woods and Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan
Cowan was Tiger’s first caddie on the PGA Tour. Cowan was on the bag not only for Tiger’s first Tour wins, but also for his first Major victory, the Masters Tournament of 1997. Woods dismissed him, so it was said, upset at Cowan revealing details of his caddie remuneration ($1,000 a week and bonuses up to 10 percent of Woods’ winnings).
Jim Furyk and Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan
When he stopped working for Tiger Woods, Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan, by then 51, went to work for Jim Furyk, forming one of the longest-lasting caddie-players relationships. After it had spanned 22 years, Cowan was interviewed as to how it was surviving so long. “He’s a wonderful guy,” Cowan said of Furyk. “He’s kind, everything a caddie could want for in a player. He has not passed on any blame on me in 22 years.”
Padraig Harrington and Ronan Flood
Padraig Harrington married his wife Caroline, who he’d known since childhood, in 1997. Harrington is a qualified accountant and in 2004 another childhood friend of his, Ronan Flood, an assistant bank manager, became his caddie. In 2007 Flood married Caroline’s younger sister. “I believe I have the best caddie in the world,” explains Harrington of his brother-in-law. “Ronan is quite forthright with his opinion. He doesn’t believe he’s right all the time which is very important.”
Bernhard Langer and Peter Coleman
The pair worked together for 22 years, during which time Langer won the Masters in 1985 and 1993. Coleman also caddied for Langer in 10 Ryder Cups. The partnership only ended when Langer decided to base himself in the US. Asked what was the key to working for one golfer for so long, Coleman replied: “Keep up, shut up, stick cotton wool in your ears and keep saying 'yes, sir’."
Ernie Els and Ricci Roberts
Fellow South African was on Ernie Els bag for all Els’ four Major wins. The pair had a reputation for not mincing their words with one another and Roberts admits: “I've been fired a few times. We make Richard Burton and Liz Taylor look like a bunch of novices. But when the pressure's on, we had a good working relationship and a lot of success. Clearly the chemistry was good.”
Jack Burke and Pappy Stokes
Jack Burke’s instructions to caddies were always: “Don't step onto the putting green and you will get a very nice tip.” Burke says that 1956 Masters was the only time he ever called a caddie onto the green. On the last hole he faced a putt that “the consequences of missing were so great, I felt I was going to pass out.” He called Pappy over and whispered: “It's inside the left edge, right?” Pappy replied: “It sure is.” Burke made the putt and shortly afterwards was putting on the Green Jacket.
Nick Price and Jeff 'Squeaky' Medlin
Medlin was on the bag for all three of Price’s Major victories. At the 1994 Open Championship Price was walking to the 18th green, with victory all but assured. He realised Medlin was lagging behind. Price recounted: “I said: ‘what are you doing?’ He said: ‘no, you go, you enjoy it.’ I said: ‘You get up here now. This is us. We’ve won this together’. We walked up to the green together, it was just a fantastic moment.”
Tom Watson and Bruce Edwards
Edwards began caddying for Watson in 1973 and worked with him until 1989. Edwards left to work for Greg Norman, before returning to Watson’s bag in 1992, and continuing until 2003. However Edwards was only on the bag for one of Watson's eight Major wins, the 1982 U.S. Open. The Masters required players to use Augusta National club caddies in the period of Watson’s wins there and in Britain Watson used Alfred Fyles as his caddie.
Tom Watson and Alfie Fyles
Alfie Fyles, a caddie at Royal Birkdale, caddied for Tom Watson in all of his five Open triumphs. In the famous Duel in the Sun at Turnberry in 1977, Watson lead Jack Nicklaus by one shot coming to the final hole, Watson had a shot of 180 yards to the green and favoured his 6-iron for it. Fyles persuaded him to take his 7-iron instead “the way your adrenaline's pumping.” Watson hit it to within 30 inches and won the Open by a shot.
Ben Crenshaw and Carl Jackson
Jackson started caddying at Augusta National in 1958 and first caddied at the Masters aged 14, in 1961, as Augusta National required players to use the club’s caddies. He first caddied for Crenshaw in 1976, when Crenshaw finished second, and continued to be Crenhaw’s caddie at the Masters even after 1983 when the club dropped the stipulation that players must use the club’s caddies. Crenshaw won the Masters in 1984 and 1995 with Jackson on his bag.
Raymond Floyd and Dolphus ‘Golf Ball’ Hull
Hull wasn’t reliable in terms of turning up. "When I don't feel like caddying, I don't,” explained Hull. “So I go hunting.” Floyd claimed: “I fired him six times. My wife Maria hired him seven times." His wife reasoned: “He and Ray make a great team. They just have fun together: Golf Ball is a funny person, and they keep each other loose.” Floyd said: “Steve Williams was the most professional caddie I ever had. But Golf Ball was the best.”
Jack Nicklaus and Angelo Argea
Nicklaus and Argea won 44 tournaments together. Nicklaus did not require his caddie to help him with club selection or to read putts, but to retrieve his practice balls, carry the bag and get the day’s pin positions. Argea later said during a round “He asked me to do two things. When he's not playing well, one, remind him that he's the best golfer out there and, two, that there's plenty of holes left.”
Annika Sorenstam and Terry McNamara
Terry McNamara started caddying for the top women’s golfer, Annika Sorenstam, in 1999 and in the next six years she won 48 tournaments. “I’ve never seen anyone as accurate,” McNamara said. “I brought a catcher’s mitt to shag balls and from her wedges through a 6-iron, unless it was windy, I never had to move more than a step. One day I pulled a bench out onto the range. For 10 shots in a row, I never had to stand up or move on the bench.”
Catriona and Graeme Matthew
It is said that the best player-caddie relationships are a form of marriage. That is literally the case here, as husband Graeme caddies for his wife, the first Scottish woman to win a Major. That Major win was the 2009 Women's British Open and came 11 weeks after Catriona had given birth to their second child. She and her husband met at Stirling University when they were studying accountancy.
Francis Ouimet and Eddie Lowery
Francis Ouitmet had got interested in golf after becoming a caddie aged 11. He became a leading amateur golfer and was persuaded to enter the 1913 US Open. He won, with 10-year old Eddie Lowery as his caddie. Lowery went on to become a multi-millionaire car dealer and sponsor of golfers. He and Ouimet became lifelong friends and Lowery was one of the pallbearers at Ouimet’s funeral in 1967.
Jack Nicklaus and Willie Peterson
Augusta National caddie Willie Peterson started caddying at The Masters as a 16 year old, in 1949. He was never given the same player twice, and in 1959 was assigned to one of that year’s amateur debutants, named Jack Nicklaus. Nicklaus retained him as his Masters caddy until the 1980s. “He did a great job, and I enjoyed his company.” Nicklaus explained. “He was a great character.” During this period Nicklaus won the first five of his six Masters titles.
Rory McIlroy and JP Fitzgerald
Dubliner JP Fitzgerald was a top amateur golfer who had had played in the final of Irish Close championship in 1987 and 1992, both of which he lost. Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy was still a teenager when Fitzgerald started to caddy for him, and during their time working together McIlroy became the world number one golfer and won four Major titles.
John Daly and Jeff 'Squeaky' Medlin
John Daly, was only ninth reserve for the US PGA Championship of 1991, so he had not travelled. When players began to drop out, he drove through the night to get to the course in time. Nick Price had dropped out, so Daly employed Price’s caddie, Jeff Medlin, who he had never met. As Daly had never played the course, Medlin guided Daly and Daly, who had never even won on Tour, proceeded to win the Major tournament by three strokes.
Ian Woosnam and Phil "Wobbly" Morbey
Woosie and Wobbly were one of the most successful player-caddie partnerships. Morbey spent 14 years as caddie for Woosnam during which time Ian Woosnam, became the number one golfer in the world. Woosnam won 35 tournaments with Wobbly on his bag, including the 1991 Masters, where his excited caddie lifting him clean off his feet on the final green in celebration remains the iconic image of their time together.
Bubba Watson and Ted Scott
When Scott left Watson’s bag, Bubba paid him this tribute on Instagram: “When we met I don’t think we ever imagined how much we would experience together. Teddy deserves more credit than anyone can imagine for our success on the golf course, but I am just as grateful for his friendship and the way he has helped me grow as a person.”
Arnold Palmer and James ‘Tip’ Anderson
When Palmer first came to play the Open Championship, it was at St Andrews and he was allocated a local caddie, Tip Anderson, who was St Andrews born and bred, After Palmer came second in that Open, he always used Tip Anderson whenever he played in Britain, including at his wins at Royal Birkdale and Troon. “Tip was the epitome of the ‘Olde Worlde’ caddie,” Palmer said, “a man of few words, wry Scottish wit, loyal, punctual and, of course, very good at what he did.’’
Tony Lema and James ‘Tip’ Anderson
When Arnold Palmer was unable to play in the 1964 Open Championship at St Andrews, he suggested to Tony Lema that he employ Anderson who was Palmer’s usual caddie when he played in Britain. Lema, whose knowledge of the Old Course at Andrews amounted to two practice rounds, was steered round the layout to victory by Anderson. Lema credited his caddie with the major role in his success.
Arnold Palmer and Nathaniel ‘Iron Man’ Avery
Avery was on the bag for all of Palmer’s four Masters wins. During the first, on the 15th hole on the final day, he asked: “Mr. Palmer, are we chokin'?" Palmer rallied, made birdies on 17 and 18 and won by a shot. Palmer said: “His understanding of what made me tick was perhaps instinctive and definitely profound. I stared back at him and realized he was right — I was foolishly beating on myself instead of taking care of the business of playing the golf course."
Ben Curtis and Andy Sutton
Andy Sutton, was a caddy who lived in Kent who wanted some work at The Open at Sandwich. So he phoned International Management Group asking if any of their players needed a caddie that week. Ben Curtis, who had neither played in a Major nor on a links course, and did not even have a top-10 finish on tour, did. Sutton guided and instructed him in links golf and Curtis, a 300-1 outsider, won that 2003 Open.
Nick Faldo and Fanny Sunesson
Sunesson was the first female caddie to win a men's Major golf championship, at the 1990 Masters, Nick Faldo’s third Major victory, Together they won three more Majors. “I didn’t give a single thought to the resonance of me hiring a female caddie,” said Faldo. “The bottom line to me was her ability and her attitude. She was teetotal, never late and the most professional out there. I admired her.”
Phil Mickelson and Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay
Lefty Mickelson won five Major titles and 41 PGA Tour ones with Jim 'Bones' Mackay on his bag. English-born but Floridian raised, Mackay, who is 6ft 4in, got his nickname when Fred Couples could not remember his name, and so called him Bones. The nickname stuck. Mickelson described Bones as “one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated caddies in the world.”
Lee Trevino and Herman Mitchell
Trevino and Mitchell had a close bond. Trevino explained that: “Herman always stayed at the same hotel I did. I got a two-bedroom suite, and we’d watch TV and eat and squabble.” Mitchell said that they were “as close as any caddie and player have been in the history of golf. He's better to me than I am to myself. I love him like a brother.”
Tiger Woods and Steve Williams
Williams was famously the best-paid sportsman in New Zealand, courtesy of his cut of Tiger Woods’ winnings. He caddied for Woods from 1999 to 2011. Williams recalls: “I have never met someone for whom winning was so important. I wish I could say I enjoyed it but when Tiger won a Major championship, it was straight on to the next one. He wanted to break Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 Majors. He would tick one off then move to the next one."
Fuzzy Zoeller and Jerry Beard
In 1979, in the 44th Masters, Fuzzy Zoeller became the first Masters debutant since the second Masters to win the tournament. He explained of his Augusta National caddie, Jerry Beard: “I never had one thought all week. I figured my local caddie knew this course a whole lot better than me, so I just put my hand out and played whatever club he put in it. I'd say 'how hard do I hit it?' He'd tell me and I'd swing.”
