How Much Do LPGA Tour Caddies Earn?
How much LPGA Tour caddies earn depends upon the caddie and the player


How much do LPGA Tour caddies earn?
How much LPGA Tour caddies earn depends upon the caddie and the player; in particular, on how well the player plays. Each caddie is an independent contractor, thus is self employed. As such, he or she negotiates their own deal with the player that they caddie for. There is no LPGA caddie set standard for caddie’s remuneration.
So what follows has to be a generalisation. Caddie pay is not something normally publicly talked about by either caddie or player. Indeed, it is said the reason why Tiger Woods dismissed his first caddie, Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan was that Cowen had revealed details of his pay ($1,000 a week and bonuses up to 10 percent of Woods’ winnings in this case).
But caddies get a two-part payment. The first part is base pay for a tournament, the second part is, in effect, performance-related pay based on how the player does, with the caddie getting a cut of the player’s prize money. Caddies and players set this percentage but I have not heard of any caddie getting more than 10% and often this figure is only for when the golfer wins the tournament. Typical figures mentioned are 10% of the prize money for winning; 7% for top 5 or maybe top 10; and 5% otherwise.
Gary Player, recalled being greeted by his Augusta National caddie, Eddie McCoy at the 1978 Masters: “Mr Player we’ve got to win, I’m in a trouble and I need a new house.” Player went on: “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.”
Caddies are responsible for paying their own expenses. The base pay is money given by the player to the caddie for the caddie to use however they wish, but it provides funds for travel, accommodation and meals when getting to and from, and working at, a tournament.
Base pay rates you hear mentioned are between $1,000 and $2.500 per tournament. Typically if a caddy if not working at a tournament, he – or she, although most caddies on the LPGA tour are male – does not get paid. Tour caddies make the bulk of their money from their percentage of the prize money.
The 2024 LPGA season offers over $116 million in prize money with 10 regular tournaments offering at least $3 million and the five Majors having purses of between $5.25m and $11m. The winner of the U.S. Women’s Open gets $2million. Presuming their caddie is on a 10% share of this, that caddie will earn a $200,000 bonus that week.
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.
Contributing Writer Roderick is the author of the critically acclaimed comic golf novel, Summer At Tangents. Golf courses and travel are Roderick’s particular interests. He writes travel articles and general features for the magazine, travel supplement and website. He also compiles the magazine's crossword. He is a member of Trevose Golf & Country Club and has played golf in around two dozen countries. Cricket is his other main sporting love. He is also the author of five non-fiction books, four of which are still in print: The Novel Life of PG Wodehouse; The Don: Beyond Boundaries; Wally Hammond: Gentleman & Player and England’s Greatest Post-War All Rounder.
-
The Players Championship Tee Times - Round Four
J.J Spaun, Bud Cauley and Lucas Glover are the final group as for Sunday's deciding round at TPC Sawgrass
By Mike Hall Published
-
You Don't See This Very Often... Why Does This Tour Pro Have A Right Handed And Left Handed Putter In The Bag This Week?
Playing the Australian Women's Classic, it was revealed that Marianne Skarpnord had put two putters in her bag for the week, with the reason being quite simple
By Matt Cradock Published
-
The One Mental Mistake Pro Golfers Never Make - Are You Guilty Of It?
Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins shares her tips on how to mentally reset your golf game
By Katie Dawkins Published
-
The Cold Hard Stats And Harsh Realities That No One Tells You About Turning Pro
Former pro Kathryn Imrie reveals the brutal truth on what it really takes - from swing speeds to bank balances - to make it in the world of professional golf
By Kathryn Imrie Published
-
‘I Couldn’t Walk For 3 Minutes, Now I Walk 18 Holes’ - From Life-Saving Double Lung Transplant To Golfing For Team GB
With only months to live, Ana Browne's transplant saved her life - but golf transformed it
By Carly Cummins Published
-
‘I Want To Play Golf, But…’ - The Women Redefining Golf On Their Own Terms
To coincide with #AccelerateAction, the theme for International Women's Day, we highlight the way female golfers are driving change
By Alison Root Published
-
How Far Does The Average Female Club Golfer Hit Their 7-Iron?
We've looked at the data... Find out if you are hitting your 7-iron an average distance
By Alison Root Published
-
Why Pay More? 7 DIY Golf Training Aids That Actually Work
Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins on how to use the best DIY training aids to improve your game
By Katie Dawkins Published
-
7 Reasons You’re Not Getting Better At Golf... And How To Fix Immediately
PGA Professional Emma Booth on why golfers struggle to improve and the simple changes they can make for instant progress
By Emma Booth Published
-
'I'm A Single Figure Golfer Looking To Get To Scratch And This Is How I'm Getting Competition Ready'
Before we know it, the competition season will be upon us. Here are 3 tips for future success
By Jess Ratcliffe Published