Three Caddies With 70+ Years Of Masters Experience Spill Their Augusta National Secrets

Billy Foster, Ricci Roberts and Terry Mundy have caddied in more than 70 Masters between them, principally for Seve Ballesteros, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ernie Els and Ian Poulter respectively.

They're three of the most experienced caddies in the world of golf and have a huge amount of knowledge to impart.

As such, they're perfectly placed to discuss the challenge of Augusta National, what goes on inside the ropes and what it takes to land the Green Jacket. Without further ado...

What do you remember about your first time caddying around Augusta?

Billy Foster: My first one was 1991 and I’ve probably missed three since. The first was with the Grand Senor, Seve Ballesteros, getting a telling off every other hole. He played a practice round on the Saturday on his own and it took him seven hours, so I learned Augusta pretty fast from a two-time Masters Champion.

I had two proper bust-ups with him there; one was in 1991 and the other one was in 1995, when I got sacked for calling him every name under the sun, shouting and bawling at him at the side of the clubhouse. There were a lot of heated moments, but it was all good fun and a great education.

Terry Mundy: Mine have all been with Ian Poulter. The first year I did was 2007 and then I did them all up to 2021 before he joined LIV. He’d done two Masters before, so I was sort of learning from him. I would also pick the brains of people like Billy and talk to other caddies and the local ones.

You learn something new every time you go there. You get different weather every time and the equipment is always changing, so there is always something to keep an eye on.

Ricci Roberts: I think 1994 was my first one when Ernie Els made his debut, and during a few of our sabbaticals, I caddied for Nicky Price and Thomas Bjorn.

I’ve had a few chances to win there, but one of my highlights would have been in 1998 when Mark O’Meara won. We were paired with Jack Nicklaus late on and Jack was 58 at the time. He birdied 2 and 3 and was within two of the lead and I thought I was going to be part of history on that particular day. The noise was deafening round there.

What do we not talk about enough with regard to the course?

RR: One year I did commentary for SuperSport in South Africa and I took my yardage book in and gave them the elevation changes. They are talked about, but you still can’t appreciate them.

It’s one of the hilliest b****ers you’re ever going to walk and you know you’ve been through the mill when you come off there at the end of the tournament. It can be absolutely brutal.

BF: The one thing that you can’t explain is the severity of the greens. Two balls might land two feet apart and one will be a kick-in birdie and the other one finishes 100ft away. The pins can be so tight to the slopes and the greens are so fast.

It is almost like there are four mini-greens within the one main green. At Augusta National, you can play good golf and not get the rewards, or you can hit a dodgy shot and make a birdie.

Quiz: can you name every multiple winner of The Masters?

What hole do you most want to get out of the way?

BF: Undoubtedly it would be the 7th. It used to be a 2-iron and a sand wedge and the green is built for that. But now the hole’s probably 80 yards longer and it can be as much as a driver to a fairway that is probably only 20 yards wide, then a 6-iron.

You’re hitting it off a downslope to an elevated green that’s maybe 12 yards deep and, if you go in the back bunkers, you’re facing double-bogey. When I first went, it was one of the easiest holes on the course; now it’s probably in the top three hardest.

TM: I’d agree. Ian has said to me that’s the hole that bothers him most. Augusta is very generous off the tee, but it’s a second-shot course and, on that particular hole, if you miss it left or right, you’ve got no shot in.

Even if you have a good number and you pitch it three yards too long, you’ll be struggling to two-putt.

How early are you allowed to go to Augusta to prepare for the tournament and when is the ideal time to turn up?

TM: You can go early with your player, but you couldn’t just walk up there and say, ‘How you doing mate? I’m caddying here in a couple of weeks.’ You’re allowed on there the weekend prior to the tournament, really.

Obviously, if it’s your first one, you would get there early and play as many practice rounds as you can. But guys with plenty of experience could turn up Wednesday, play nine holes and they’d be ready. But they’ll still get there too early and go through the same thing.

RR: We always think the guys get there way too early. By the time the gun goes off on Thursday morning, half of them are knackered or their brains are fried.

BF: When you register, the defending champion gets the number one on their boiler suit, so the first player to turn up will get number two.

You’ll get there on Sunday morning and you might get number seven. If you get there Wednesday afternoon, you’re going to get 89 because you’re the last player to register. It’s amazing how many golfers do well with a high number.

A lot of the top players might go there two or three weeks before and play a couple of rounds, just to remind themselves of certain things. Then they’ll come in on, say, Tuesday lunchtime to get a feel for the course and how it’s playing.

There’s nothing worse than six-hour practice rounds. Most players will play 36 holes before the tournament starts.

Have things improved much for caddies off-course?

BF: The first time I went there, the caddie shack was on the left side of the new range, as it is now, and it was literally a shack. There were three toilets and not one of them had a door on. So you’re just sitting there with your ‘trolleys’ round your ankles, saying good morning to everyone.

TM: Now we have a lovely locker room. You have your own locker, the food is all put on for you and there are beers for when you finish. It’s night and day. They’re even giving the caddies a ticket now.

Billy, Terry and Ricci have come together to produce The 19th Uncut, a highly entertaining and engaging podcast featuring guests from the world of sport and entertainment. Download it wherever you get your podcasts.