The role of caddies in professional golf has arguably evolved as much as any other aspect of the game at the highest level. The modern looper must carry and clean clubs, measure yardages, help with club selections, read greens as well as filling the role of psychologist and even security guard.
Listed here are the 10 most successful caddies who have guided their players to more men’s major championship wins than anyone else.
10 J.P. FITZGERALD
Despite both having four major titles to their name, Rory McIlroy’s long-time bagman gets the 10th place ahead of Arnold Palmer’s Augusta National regular Nathaniel ‘Iron Man’ Avery for his larger body of work that includes another 18 victories.
Fitzgerald worked for Paul McGinley and Ernie Els among others before striking gold by securing the job on McIlroy’s bag in 2008.
The two Irishmen appeared set for a long and successful career before a form slump in 2017 saw Fitzgerald replaced with McIlroy’s best friend Harry Diamond.
9 RICCI ROBERTS
Ernie Els and Ricci Roberts have a relationship that personifies the player-caddie dynamic better than any other duo.
The South African has given Roberts his marching orders on numerous occasions, only to bring him back into the fold each time.
RIGHT: Roberts with Els. PHOTO: Getty Images.
All four of Els’ major championship victories have come with Roberts pulling the clubs, and the combination’s multiple other wins around the world suggest that despite occasionally wearing the blame for Els’ dips in form, Roberts is a top-class caddie.
8 DAVE MUSGROVE
Musgrove was a regular fixture on the European Tour for decades and collected four majors with three different players.
Known as ‘Muzzy’, the Englishman earnt his first major title at the 1979 Open Championship, famously won from the car park at Royal Lytham during his tumultuous stint with Seve Ballesteros.
RIGHT: Musgrove with Ballesteros. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Musgrove reportedly told Seve at the 72nd hole in 1979 he could make six and win, but he needed him to make four to win a bet.
Musgrove’s other majors came with his long time employer Sandy Lyle, at the Masters and Open, and Lee Janzen at the 1998 US Open.
7 JEFF MEDLIN
Known as ‘Squeaky’ for his high pitched voice, Medlin began caddying on the PGA Tour in 1985 and quickly became Nick Price’s regular looper.
The Zimbabwean would win the 1992 and 1994 US PGA Championships and 1994 Open with Medlin on the bag, but Medlin claimed his first of four majors carrying for John Daly.
RIGHT: Medlin with Price. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Price withdrew from the 1991 US PGA Championship to be at the birth of his child, giving Daly a place in the field. With no caddie organised, ‘The Wild Thing’ borrowed Price’s man for the week and Medlin guided him to a most unlikely victory.
6 FANNY SUNESSON
The first female caddie to win a men’s major, Sunesson carried Nick Faldo’s bag for nearly a decade beginning in 1989; the pair collecting four majors along the way.
Sunesson then went on to caddie for Fred Funk, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson, whom she claimed The Players in 2009 alongside, before becoming a mental coach.
The Swede recently came out of retirement to work for Adam Scott at this year’s Open Championship; the Queenslander unsurprisingly breaking out of a slump with the experienced Sunesson on the bag.
5 WILLIE PETERSON
Peterson was one of the long-time Augusta National caddies who professionals were forced to use at The Masters until 1983.
Having never caddied for the same player twice after making his tournament caddying debut as a 16-year-old, Peterson was given the bag of Jack Nicklaus in 1959.
Despite Nicklaus playing down the importance of his caddies during his career, Peterson must have done something right. The demonstrative bag man guided ‘The Golden Bear’ to five of his six wins around Augusta National. (Pictured above).
4 WILLIAM STOKES
The only caddie to win five Masters titles with four different players, William ‘Pappy’ Stokes was born and raised on the site that would become Augusta National in 1920.
Stokes was the winning caddie at Augusta in 1938 when Henry Picard was victorious, 1948 for Claude Harmon, 1951 and 1953 with Ben Hogan and finally in 1956 for Jack Burke Jnr. Stokes remains the youngest winning caddie in Masters history for his win with Picard.
3 ALFIE FYLES
Tom Watson was one of the many American players to use a local caddie when crossing the pond to play The Open Championship – and his partnership with Royal Birkdale caddie Fyles is one of the most successful in caddie history.
RIGHT: Fyles with Watson. PHOTO: Getty Images.
Fyles carried the American’s bag for all five of his Open wins and is credited with convincing the eight-time major winner to change to a 7-iron from a 6-iron at the final hole during his famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ battle with Jack Nicklaus at Turnberry; the close approach shot securing victory.
2 JIM MACKAY
‘Bones’ was Phil Mickelson’s right-hand man for over 25 years before the duo decided to call it quits in 2017; Phil’s brother Tim taking over caddie duties.
After stints on the bags of Larry Mize, Scott Simpson and Curtis Strange, Mackay and Mickelson partnered up in 1992 and collected all of the left hander’s five major titles together.
Mackay was given his nickname by Fred Couples – who couldn’t remember his name – in 1990 and is a permanent fixture on any top caddie list not only for his longevity and victories, but his ability to get the best out of the often erratic Mickelson.
1 STEVE WILLIAMS
The most successful caddie in history, Williams worked for Ray Floyd and Greg Norman among others before taking over from Mike ‘Fluff’ Cowan as Tiger Woods’ man when Cowan was sacked after disclosing his wage in an interview.
Woods and Williams would go on to claim 13 major titles together, with the Kiwi’s best moment coming at the 2008 US Open. Williams claims he lied about the yardage left to convince Woods to hit lob wedge into the 72nd green rather than sand wedge, setting up the birdie putt that tied Rocco Mediate and sent the tournament to a playoff the following day.
After being sacked by Woods, Williams proved he was capable of major success without Tiger, successfully reading the putt on the final playoff hole that delivered Adam Scott Australia’s first Green Jacket.
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