Given the increasing purses across the top level of men's professional golf, it can be easy to forget that it is not just the players themselves who are making more money than ever - the caddies certainly aren't missing out either.
Cumulative payouts on the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and LIV Golf League have already totalled well into the tens of millions of dollars this season, giving the leading golfers a chance to set themselves and their families up for life in just a few short months.
On the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler is comfortably in the number one position in the FedEx Cup standings thanks to a total paypacket of just over $18.6 million in 2024. That has been helped by four wins - one of which was his second Masters title.
LIV's leading golfer in terms of money right now is Joaquin Niemann, but the Chilean's total earnings across the year so far pales in comparison to Scheffler's bulging bank account. Despite a pair of wins and only two finishes outside of the top-10 in seven LIV Golf events, Niemann has collected *just* $10.888 million.
However, taking into account four non-LIV events in the 2024 campaign, Niemann has collected an extra $811,647.63 in total prize money, taking his total up to $11,571,647.62.
Joaquin Niemann and Gary Matthews at The Masters in 2023
For context, the leading players in the DP World Tour's Race To Dubai have scooped less than $2 million ahead of the PGA Championship.
As a result of Scheffler and Niemann's fantastic respective seasons so far, their caddies have likely become the first two bagmen to earn over $1 million in 2024 - purely via what is effectively a bonus.
Scheffler's assistant, Ted Scott is believed to have picked up almost $1.8 million while Gary Matthews - whose boss is Niemann - is thought to have claimed an extra $1,041,830.51 this term.
Tour caddies are usually paid a yearly salary or kept on a retainer, with each week presenting a new opportunity for an extra bump in their earnings. And assuming that both players adhere to what is thought to be the standard cut for a caddie on tour - which usually sees the looper collect 10% of the winner's check and between 5-7% depending on how high up a player finishes - here is the breakdown of what we believe to be their respective earnings in 2024.
| Event | Position | Scheffler Prize Money | Predicted Caddie Rate | Caddie Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sentry | 5th | $690,500 | 7% | $48,335 |
| The American Express | 17th | $132,300 | 5% | $6,615 |
| AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am | 6th | $642,500 | 7% | $44,795 |
| WM Phoenix Open | 3rd | $519,200 | 7% | $36,344 |
| Genesis Invitational | 10th | $455,000 | 7% | $31,850 |
| Arnold Palmer Invitational | 1st | $4,000,000 | 10% | $400,000 |
| The Players Championship | 1st | $4,500,000 | 10% | $450,000 |
| Houston Open | 2nd | $553,735 | 7% | $38,761 |
| The Masters | 1st | $3,600,000 | 10% | $360,000 |
| RBC Heritage | 1st | $3,600,000 | 10% | $360,000 |
| Row 10 - Cell 0 | Row 10 - Cell 1 | TOTAL | Row 10 - Cell 3 | TOTAL |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | Row 11 - Cell 1 | $18,693,235 | Row 11 - Cell 3 | $1,776,880 |
| Event | Position | Niemann Prize Money | Predicted Caddie Rate | Caddie Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian PGA Championship | 5th | $55,002.67 | 7% | $3,850.19 |
| Australian Open | 1st | $201,556.23 | 10% | $20,155.62 |
| Dubai Desert Classic | T4th | $378,513.17 | 7% | $26,495.92 |
| LIV Mayakoba | 1st | $4,000,000 | 10% | $400,000 |
| LIV Las Vegas | 33rd | $155,000 | 5% | $7,750 |
| LIV Jeddah | 1st | $4,000,000 | 10% | $400,000 |
| LIV Hong Kong | 4th | $1,000,000 | 7% | $70,000 |
| LIV Miami | 11th | $380,000 | 5% | $19,000 |
| The Masters | T22 | $176,575.55 | 5% | $8,828.78 |
| LIV Adelaide | 6th | $700,000 | 7% | $49,000 |
| LIV Singapore | 8th | $525,000 | 7% | $36,750 |
| Row 11 - Cell 0 | Row 11 - Cell 1 | TOTAL | Row 11 - Cell 3 | TOTAL |
| Row 12 - Cell 0 | Row 12 - Cell 1 | $11,571,647.62 | Row 12 - Cell 3 | $1,041,830.51 |
