Why Do The Caddies Have Numbers At The Masters?

The Masters caddies wear white jumpsuits and green caps, and have done since the 1940s, and eagle-eyed viewers will notice that each one has a different number on their chest. But why?

It's one of the many Masters traditions and it's a very simple one. Players arrive at Augusta National on tournament week and officially register for the event at the club, and the number their caddies wear is simply dictated by which order they registered in.

There is a caveat to that though, as the defending champion's caddie always takes number '1' no matter when they check in. 

This year's defending champion is Jon Rahm, therefore his caddie Adam Hayes has the honor of the number one.

The caddie wears that number all week, and even the players' caddie, whether it's their usual caddie or a friend, partner or family member, wears it during the traditional Masters Par 3 Contest - if they play.

For the 2024 Masters, there are 89 participants starting the week so the highest number seen on a caddie's jumpsuit is 89.

This tradition has also spread to the Augusta National Women's Amateur, where the world's best female amateurs play two rounds at Champions Retreat before the final round at Augusta National on the Saturday before The Masters.

The ANWA started in 2019, with the debut tournament won by now-Major champion Jennifer Kupcho. It has now had five editions, with England's Lottie Woad, who attends Florida State University, winning the 2024 edition.