The earliest caddies at Augusta National were poor black men drawn from the local community. The club had provided them with official uniforms to make them look smarter. The bright white also made the caddies stand out against the vibrant green of the lush Augusta National fairways.
Augusta used to employ poor people from the local community and members insisted on providing them with a white suit to make them look smarter. Until the 1970s all golfers were provided with a caddie from Augusta instead of their own personal one.
It derives from the 1930's when the club opened. The caddies were all mostly poor African American men, and the club founders and members wanted all the caddies to look “smart” and neat, and so they adopted the white jumpsuit.
A press release from Augusta National Golf Club in 1982 changed a Masters Tournament tradition forever. Starting with the next year's Masters, less than five months away in 1983, participants would no longer be required to use Augusta National club caddies, who were Black.
The caddie uniforms have been this way since the early 1940s and the decision to wear a white jumpsuit on a golf course turned out to be an innovative decision at the time.
The earliest caddies at Augusta National were poor black men drawn from the local community. The club had provided them with official uniforms to make them look smarter. The bright white also made the caddies stand out against the vibrant green of the lush Augusta National fairways.
CADDIE ATTIRE
All caddies must wear a collared shirt. Male caddies may wear slacks or hemmed shorts, not more than 2” above the knee. Female caddies may wear slacks, shorts, skorts, or golf skirts/dresses, all hemmed appropriately. Caddies must wear smooth, rubber-soled shoes.
The commonly held belief is that most caddies make around $1,500 to $3,000 per tournament. In addition to that, each caddie has a negotiated deal with the golfer to be paid a percentage of their winnings.
Augusta National admitted no African American members until 1990 and no women members until 2012. The club long required all caddies to be Black and banned Black golfers from the Masters Tournament until Lee Elder participated in 1975.
Woods used a black caddie, Tommy Bennett, at the Masters in 1995 when he was the only amateur to make the 36-hole cut.
The green jacket is reserved for Augusta National members and golfers who win the Masters. Jackets are kept on club grounds, and taking them off the premises is forbidden. The exception is for the winner, who can take it home and return it to the club the following year.
As per McIlroy, he did not split with JP Fitzgerald due to a conflict. He said it was more due to him than Fitzgerald. The 33-year-old admitted that he would occasionally vent his frustrations and be harsh on his caddie following a poor showing. “It was partly to do with him and mostly to do with me," said McIlroy.
Matt Kuchar has turned one of the feel-good stories of the golfing year into a personal nightmare, all because he shorted a caddie's tip. In November, Kuchar won the Mayakoba Golf Classic — his first tournament win in four years — and the $1.3 million prize that came with it.
Actions not allowed: Standing on the line of play when a player takes their stance and makes a stroke. Replace a ball, unless the caddie had lifted or moved the ball. Drop or place a ball in a relief area.
There has been much debate over whether or not golf pros should be allowed to wear shorts during competition, but as of now, the PGA tour does not allow it. Some people believe that the reason for this policy is because golf is seen as a gentleman's game and shorts are considered to be too casual.
The professional caddies don't tend to keep their white jumpsuits from the week, although they are allowed to send a letter requesting that they keep it and Augusta National sends it out to them via mail.
"The noise is an irritation to not only the players, the dialing, the conversation; it's a distraction. And that's the way we have chosen to deal with it." For comparison, here is Tiger Woods near the patrons at this year's Masters on the left and near the fans at the 2019 PGA Championship.
Though Augusta National Golf Club took 78 years to admit women to its membership, the club has chosen some powerful, impactful females for its roster. Augusta National's female members have continued to make their mark on the golf industry. You could say they earned their green jackets.
Augusta National Golf Club made history today by finally allowing women to become full members at one of the country's most exclusive clubs. While it seems like it has taken forever for Augusta to become a coed club, they are the ones that write the rules of entry as they are a completely invitation-only private club.
Tiger Woods' caddie typically earns a five to 10 percent share of his golfer's earnings, according to Golf Week. A caddie can earn between $1,500 and $2,500 per week during golf tournaments, Forbes reports. What is this?
Yes, caddies still get paid even if their player misses the cut. Typically, caddies and their players agree on their base pay for the week. If a player does earn a check, caddies receive between 8-10%.
Caddies for professional players could make up to $3,000 per tournament, but they also receive a percentage of the player's winnings. As of 2020, the highest paid caddy in golf was Justin Thomas' assistant Jimmy Johnson, who reportedly received as many as $502,851 on that year.
WE ALL know the importance of the relationship between tour professionals and their caddies. They spend a great deal of time together - maybe five hours on the course, an hour or so on the range before every round, perhaps another hour afterwards. Then eat together, they travel together.
It's a bizarre situation, to say the least. PGA Tour caddies typically travel the world to work for their professionals. In most cases, when a pro needs a substitute for a week, he relies on another experienced Tour caddie, a friend or a family member. Using a local caddie is rare, but not unprecedented.
The quintessential role of the caddie is to bring added value to the game for the golfer. There's the obvious duty of carrying the golf clubs, but the caddie does much more than that. From making sure the bag is stocked with balls and tees to repairing divots and raking sand traps.