‘From A Caddie’s Point Of View, It’s A Dream, The LIV Tour’
Veteran caddie Billy Foster explains why he thinks loopers playing their trade on the LIV Golf League have landed a dream job


Veteran caddie Billy Foster thinks the LIV Golf League is the perfect place for his colleagues to ply their trade.
In recent years, the Englishman has been caddying for PGA Tour star Matt Fitzpatrick, but in a wide-ranging interview with Genting Casinos, he outlined some of the perks caddies are accustomed to on the Tour's rival.
He said: “LIV looks like it's been designed by the caddies association. The caddies get all their expenses paid, the flights and hotels. They get the food paid for. They put money behind the bar for the caddies to have a drink.”
It’s not just matters off the course that are appealing for the caddies, either. Foster, who used to caddie for LIV Golf's Lee Westwood, also pointed out that the unique format of the tournaments - as well as the guaranteed prize money for every player - makes being on of its caddies the ideal role.
He added: “All the tee times are in the afternoon. It's a shotgun start. They play three rounds instead of four. And the prize money, whether you play good, bad or ugly, is very handsome. Players still get quite a bit of money for playing poorly. From a caddie's point of view, it's the dream, the LIV Tour.”
Billy Foster currently caddies for Matt Fitzpatrick
Foster also turned his attention to one of the more controversial topics in the elite game, slow play, and proposed a potential solution beyond fining players.
“I think it is time that a stricter limit was brought in, whether it be 60 seconds or 50 seconds and then you get a warning,” he said. “Then, if there was a threat of a penalty shot instead of a monetary fine, I'm sure that the players would change accordingly. I think it could be helped here.”
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
Foster also pointed out that it’s not just fans who suffer from a slower pace of play. He added: “If you're a fast player and you're playing with a couple of slower guys, then all of sudden the officials come and say you're out of position you need to get a move on then it's unfair on the quicker player too because they have to start rushing as well.”
During his long career, Foster has caddied for some of Europe’s biggest stars, including Westwood, Seve Ballesteros and Darren Clarke, where he frequently carried out his work on the DP World Tour. However, he worries that the lure of the PGA Tour has diminished the circuit and that its focus should return to the continent of its origins.
Billy Foster has caddied for some of Europe's biggest stars, including Seve Ballesteros
“I look at when I started in the 80s. You'd have Seve, Langer, Lyle, Woosnam, Faldo and Olazabal,: said the Englishman. "Then in the 90s you had Montgomerie, Clarke, Westwood, Harrington and Garcia. They all played the European Tour.
“Then the 2000s came along and the next batch still played quite a lot in Europe like Poulter, Casey, Rose et cetera, but then guys started leaving and playing in America full time and living in America.
“I’d love for there to be a German Open in Berlin, a Spanish Open in Madrid, the French Open in Paris, and all being big tournaments — an Italian Open in Rome — all your big countries, all the main cities, with a national Open. It doesn’t have to be fortunes. I’d just love to see the tour brought closer to Europe.”
In January, Foster revealed on Instagram that he was scaling back his caddying duties, and he also explained what that means, and why he's reducing his workload. He said: “I’m job sharing with Dan Parrott. Dan's caddied for about 15 years with the likes of Ben An and Thorbjorn Olesen and KH Lee. He's got a young family he wants to do a little bit less and I'm just getting ready for my bus pass.
A post shared by Billy Foster (@billy66foz)
A photo posted by on
“42 years of caddying, with all the transatlantic flying, you're walking the best part of 50 miles a week with four stone on your back and it's just catching up with me a bit. I just figured I'll just do a little bit less.”
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
-
Hero Indian Open Leaderboard: Chacarra Leads By Three Down 18 As Only Four Players Left Under Par
Only a handful of players remain under par for the tournament as they chase the latest DP World Tour title at an incredibly difficult DLF Golf & Country Club
By Jonny Leighfield Last updated
-
Tony Finau Misses 3-Inch Putt In Costly Houston Open Gaffe
The six-time PGA Tour winner had a nightmare moment on the 15th during the third round at Memorial Park Golf Course
By Mike Hall Published
-
LIV Golf Unveils Its Own Version Of Creator Classic Featuring Grant Horvat, Rick Shiels, Fat Perez And Bryan Bros
Taking place at LIV Golf Miami, six players from the circuit will play alongside six of the game's biggest content creators in a nine-hole scramble event
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Carlos Ortiz 'Overjoyed' To Earn Open Championship Spot After Pulling Away From LIV Rivals During International Series Macau Victory
The Mexican finished with a blistering six-under 64 to earn his second Asian Tour prize and clinch a spot at the 153rd Open Championship
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
LIV Golf Leaderboard At International Series Macau - Open Spots Up For Grabs As Multiple LIV Pros In Contention Going Into Final Day
After a busy Moving Day at Macau Golf and Country Club, a number of LIV golfers are in contention for the victory and a potential spot at The Open Championship
By Matt Cradock Last updated
-
'If We Want To Figure Out Why The Game Of Golf Is Not Back Together, Go Ask Those Guys' - Scottie Scheffler Insists LIV Golfers To Blame For Golf's Big Divide
Scottie Scheffler reiterated his stance that LIV golfers were to blame for the continued split in men's pro golf, while insisting the PGA Tour still had a better standard
By Paul Higham Published
-
Paul McGinley Proposes ‘One Of The Things That I Think LIV Have Got Right’ To Be Applied To PGA Tour
The Golf Channel analyst thinks a key change implemented by LIV Golf could make all the difference to the PGA Tour
By Mike Hall Published
-
Joaquin Niemann Wins LIV Golf Singapore Title
The Chilean won his second LIV Golf event of the season thanks to a bogey-free 65 on Sunday in Singapore
By Elliott Heath Published
-
Jon Rahm Equals Bryson DeChambeau's LIV Golf Record After Strong Start In Singapore
The Legion XIII captain matched Bryson DeChambeau's record for consecutive scores under-par in the second round of LIV Golf Singapore
By Mike Hall Published
-
‘I Think It’s Dead, I Think The Other Side Is Gone’ - Lee Trevino Gives Take On PGA Tour-LIV Golf Divide And Calls For Players And Caddies To Speed Up
Lee Trevino was full of praise for the PGA Tour and its immediate future, as he believes that a deal with the Saudi PIF may not come at all
By Paul Higham Published