Who Is Jesper Svensson's Caddie?
Swedish player Jesper Svensson’s caddie is South African Xolani “Lucky” Shandu – get to know more about him here
After spells on the Nordic Golf League and Challenge Tour since turning professional in 2019, Swede Jesper Svensson’s breakout season came in 2024 with his introduction to the DP World Tour.
Svensson earned his DP World Tour card after finishing fifth in the Challenge Tour’s Road to Mallorca rankings, and it didn’t take long to find his feet on the circuit with a T2 at the Investec South African Open Championship in just his second start of the 2023/24 season.
On the bag for him that week was caddie Xolani “Lucky” Shandu, who was in his homeland for the event – but that was just the beginning of their success on the circuit.
After another runner-up finish, this time at the Bahrain Championship, Shandu was alongside Svensson for his biggest career success to date – victory in March’s Porsche Singapore Classic, as he became the latest in a string of first-time winners on the DP World Tour during the season.
Afterwards, Svensson explained how Shandu’s decision-making had helped him at a crucial moment in the tournament. In the final round, he opted to go for the green rather than lay-up on the par-5 14th. That set up an eagle chance, which he took to open a three-shot lead.
"Combined with the Challenge Tour last year and the beginning of this season I've had five second-place spots in the last year," he said.
“I really wanted to come out on top here. There was a couple of times today I told Lucky, my caddie... on 14 we were thinking about laying up we both said 'no, we're not finishing second again' and it was the best shot of the week."
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So, what is Shandu’s background as a caddie? Details are scant, but we do know he was caddying as far back as 2014, when he worked alongside Spaniard Borja Virto on the Challenge Tour. He was still with him the following year, too, as he claimed two victories. The two then reunited in 2018, with Virto’s best finish being third at the Le Vaudreuil Golf Challenge.
Given that early success alongside Virto, it’s no surprise that Shandu has flourished in his career with Svensson. Following Svensson's maiden DP World Tour win, the two thrived as the season continued, with Svensson claiming another runner-up finish, this time at the D+D Real Czech Masters, and fifth at the Betfred British Masters.
The partnership seems destined to take in further new territory in 2025 because, thanks to its success, Svensson stood on the verge of a top-10 finish in the Race to Dubai rankings, with the prize of a place on the PGA Tour within his grasp.
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.
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