How Much The Winning Caddie Makes At The 2024 AIG Women’s Open
With the total purse for the AIG Women's Open getting a boost this year, the winning caddie will likely make more than any other looper in the event's history


The winning caddie at this year’s AIG Women’s Open is set to make more than any other caddie in the tournament’s history.
The R&A announced on Wednesday that the prize money for this week’s event at St Andrews’ Old Course will be a record $9.5 million, with the winner getting $1.425m.
The total prize money is boosted by $500,000 from last year, and almost three-and-a-half times the amount on offer the last time the event was contested at St Andrews in 2013.
This year’s winning caddie is set to take home $142,500, which is 10 percent of the prize money for first place.
While the exact amount professional caddies make varies, with every player/caddie agreement slightly different, it is generally accepted that loopers get a 10 percent cut of the prize money when their player wins a tournament.
Lilia Vu took home $1.35m when she won her second Major title at the 2023 Women’s Open at Walton Heath Golf Club, meaning her caddie Cole Pensanti likely earned $135,000.
In her most successful year to date, Vu also won three other tournaments in 2023, including the Chevron Championship, which also made it Pensanti’s most lucrative year as a professional caddie.
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.
Professional caddies also make a baseline salary every week, on top of the percentage of prize money, which is all agreed upon with the player – although most loopers pay their own expenses.
While a 10 percent cut of the prize money for caddies is generally assumed if their player wins an event, they are likely to receive a smaller percentage for lower finishes.
On the PGA Tour, caddies make on average $2,000 a week, according to veteran looper Brennan Little.
“I think $2,000 a week is pretty average, but everything is worked out between you and the player,” Little, a veteran caddie of 25 years, told Golf Monthly in 2022.
“After a few years you’ll get a raise. Or you’ll get bonuses at the end of the year. It just varies by the player. I think generally if you were looking for a number it would be $2,000 a week, and then 7 to 8 percent and 10 percent [of the prize money].”
The baseline salaries for caddies on the LPGA Tour is likely to be less than those on the PGA Tour, with purses being lower for the women, but the percentage of prize money is likely to be similar on both tours.

Joel Kulasingham is freelance writer for Golf Monthly. He has worked as a sports reporter and editor in New Zealand for more than five years, covering a wide range of sports including golf, rugby and football. He moved to London in 2023 and writes for several publications in the UK and abroad. He is a life-long sports nut and has been obsessed with golf since first swinging a club at the age of 13. These days he spends most of his time watching, reading and writing about sports, and playing mediocre golf at courses around London.
-
Garmin Approach S44 Golf Watch Review
How does the latest installment in Garmin's golf smartwatch range perform both on and off the golf course?
By Conor Keenan
-
LIV Golf Korea 2025 Picks, Odds And Predictions
As the LIV Golf League arrives in Korea for the first time, check out the odds for the leading players and our picks to win this week
By Jonny Leighfield
-
LPGA Black Desert Championship Prize Money Payout 2025
Many of the biggest names in the world head to Utah as they compete for a share of one of the largest purses so far this season
By Mike Hall
-
Mao Saigo Claims Maiden Major Title At Chevron Championship After Thrilling Five-Way Sudden Death Playoff
The Japanese star made a birdie on the first extra hole at The Club at Carlton Woods as her four challengers faltered
By Mike Hall
-
Watch The Shocking Moment Ariya Jutanugarn Whiffs Chip At 18th To Surrender Chevron Championship Solo Lead
Ariya Jutanugarn led by one heading to the 18th hole in the final round of the Major, but a nightmare moment left her facing a playoff
By Mike Hall
-
Chevron Championship Prize Money Payout 2025
Nelly Korda won her second Major at the 2024 edition of the Chevron Championship
By Mike Hall
-
12 Big Names Who Missed The Cut At The Chevron Championship
The first women's Major of 2025 is at its halfway stage and, heading into the weekend, a number of notable players failed to reach the two-over-par cutline
By Matt Cradock
-
What Is The Cut At the Chevron Championship?
The first of five women's Majors of the year, what do players need to do make the cut at the Chevron Championship?
By Paul Higham
-
Yani Tseng Won Five Majors Putting Right-Handed, But Now She's Flipped Sides - Here's Why...
A dominant force in the women's game 15 years ago, Tseng has lost her way since and is now employing a "last resort" putting tactic in order to play well again
By Jonny Leighfield
-
Nelly Korda Looking At Another Putter Switch After Shooting 77 in Chevron Championship
World No.1 Nelly Korda was almost in tears after her first-round 77 at the Chevron Championship, and was looking to instantly make another change of putter as a result
By Paul Higham