It's no secret that caddies can earn sizeable amounts of cash when carrying for the top players in golf. For example, in 2024 alone, Scottie Scheffler's caddie, Ted Scott, took home approximately $5.2 million following his bosses incredible season on the PGA Tour.
However, not all caddies are lucky enough to work with the likes of the World No.1 but, if they are on the PGA Tour, they can still pick up a handy amount, as a tweet from Ben Silverman's caddie, Bryan Kopsick, shows!
How much are PGA Tour caddies paid? Ben’s 2024 earnings - $1,262,599Events played - 24$1,262,599 x .08 = $101,007.9224 events x $2,000 = $48,000.00Total on course earnings $149,007.92This does not include sponsorship/off course income OR travel expensesAsk whateverNovember 2, 2024
Posting on Twitter/X, Kopsick explained that during 2024 Silverman has earned $1,262,599 in 24 events. Now, that's the players earnings, but what about the caddie?
Well, the standard cut for a caddie is reportedly 10% of the winner's check and between 5-7% depending on how high up a player finishes. In regards to Kopsick, he receives 8% which, according to the maths, is $101,007.92.
Now, it's not just the cut of prize money, but caddies are also given a base wage for accommodation and travel by their bosses. For Kopsick, he receives $2,000 a week so, over 24 events, that's $48,000, which puts the on-course earnings at $149,007.92. We must add that "this does not include sponsorship/off course income OR travel expenses."
This may sound like a decent amount but, it's worth noting that his "travel/professional expenses" are forecasted to be "~$50,000 for the year," with that leaving just under $100,000.
You may think that life on Tour can be glamorous, walking the best golf courses and being around the best players but, in the thread, Kopsick reveals that, previously, he has had to do near 16 hour round trips to Monday Qualifiers for PGA Tour events. What's more, he has described the life as "lonely", but the caddies do have a "good support system."
Another interesting aspect is the jump between the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour. As we know, the difference in tournament purses is significant and, listing his earnings from 2021 to 2023, we notice that "in 2021 he secured $74,890, $23,936 in 2022 and over $500,000 in 2023!"
