Caddies sue PGA Tour

I know someone who caddied on the US PGA Tour for a top 10 Player. He was self employed and received $1000 plus 10% of winnings in each game.
 
Greed - maybe..
But they're trying to get a slice of the pie.
A caddy only, generally, gets paid if their guy makes the cut - that's a fairly universal agreement.
So the caddy who works for a serial cut-misser isn't getting paid
But.....he's still advertising the main sponsor on his bib...
Why shouldn't he get something for it?
In all walks of business you get paid for advertising something, either in cash, goods or services.
If the caddies aren't getting paid for wearing the bib, what are they getting?
 
What about looking at other sports.

Football. Players wear the teams top with a sponsors logo on. Now the player isn't getting paid by the sponsor, the team is. Sponsor pays team, team pays player. Now we all know that most players have extra sponsors of their own, but they can just shun the main sponsor and start sticking on their own logos!
F1. Mobile billboards. Same as above. Sponsors pay team. Team pays driver.

Now to golf. Sponsors pay player in prize money. Player pays caddie.

If the caddie is on a contract with the player that they only get a cut of players winnings then again, this has nothing to do with anyone else but the caddie and the player (and the fact that the caddie isn't any good at negotiating his own contract)! It's mentioned a lot that player and caddie are a team. As such, then the caddie is being paid performance related pay for wearing the bib.

If this does go further then it could be possible for the PGA to cuts it's nose off to spite it's face and just make all the caddies dress like at The Masters and have no advertising at all.
 
colintheb said:
Players pay the caddies on a per tournament basis with a small wage along with a percentage
of their winnings.

If a player doesn't play then the caddie gets nothing.
If a player, plays and misses the cut the caddies get nothing.
At some tournaments they get vouchers for the burger van.
They are not allowed in the clubhouse in S/Africa, Portugal and so on.
From this small wage they still have to fork out for travel and digs.

A caddie mate once told me that he can go to his work for two weeks and come home with less
money than he started with.

Yes, some caddies can make a decent living out of golf but most don't.

As the caddie works for the player and has no connection to the sponsor then they should
either be paid for advertising or allowed to not wear the bib.

Or let the players wear the bib.
Click to expand...

SocketRocket said:
I know someone who caddied on the US PGA Tour for a top 10 Player. He was self employed and received $1000 plus 10% of winnings in each game.
Click to expand...

From what I understand from a several Euro Tour Caddies and it's the same on the US Tour too ....

The normal arrangement is...

There's a fixed fee for the tournament - whether the player makes the cut or not
If the player makes the cut, then there's an additional 5% of the winnings, except
If the player makes top 10, then it's 7.5% except
If the player wins, then it's 10%

Transport and accommodation expenses are not normally included, though some players do provide some assistance.

Obviously, some will negotiate a better package, and are free to negotiate their own sponsorship deals for caps, sunnies, trainers (the only footwear allowed) etc.
 
Just guessing here but maybe they're suing the tour because *they're* the ones who force the players to force their caddies to wear a bib. I assume players don't have the option to tell caddies that they don't have to wear it if they don't want to? So, even though caddies work directly for their players, they could be aggrieved at the tour for making them wear the bib whether they want to or not. The caddies might argue that they could negotiate their own bib sponsorship with someone else if they weren't required to wear the official bib 'for free'. I'm no lawyer but maybe they could then sue for being deprived of income?
 
muttleee said:
Just guessing here but maybe they're suing the tour because *they're* the ones who force the players to force their caddies to wear a bib. I assume players don't have the option to tell caddies that they don't have to wear it if they don't want to? So, even though caddies work directly for their players, they could be aggrieved at the tour for making them wear the bib whether they want to or not. The caddies might argue that they could negotiate their own bib sponsorship with someone else if they weren't required to wear the official bib 'for free'. I'm no lawyer but maybe they could then sue for being deprived of income?
Click to expand...

I think this is the main-point. Whether it's right or wrong, will be up to the courts, or it will get settled before then.
 
Foxholer said:
From what I understand from a several Euro Tour Caddies and it's the same on the US Tour too ....

The normal arrangement is...

There's a fixed fee for the tournament - whether the player makes the cut or not
If the player makes the cut, then there's an additional 5% of the winnings, except
If the player makes top 10, then it's 7.5% except
If the player wins, then it's 10%

Transport and accommodation expenses are not normally included, though some players do provide some assistance.

Obviously, some will negotiate a better package, and are free to negotiate their own sponsorship deals for caps, sunnies, trainers (the only footwear allowed) etc.
Click to expand...

Thats not the case with this guy. He received $1000 out of which he paid all his expenses and had 10% of winnings. Nothing else. He caddied for K J Choi by the way.
 
Imurg said:
Greed - maybe..
But they're trying to get a slice of the pie.
A caddy only, generally, gets paid if their guy makes the cut - that's a fairly universal agreement.
So the caddy who works for a serial cut-misser isn't getting paid
But.....he's still advertising the main sponsor on his bib...
Why shouldn't he get something for it?
In all walks of business you get paid for advertising something, either in cash, goods or services.
If the caddies aren't getting paid for wearing the bib, what are they getting?
Click to expand...

A caddy that I know who works on the ET told me that he got a basic wage, a cut from prize money and a contribution to travel and accommodation if he went outside Europe.

He caddied for some of the lesser lights but earned some decent money with j
john Parry for a while
 
Liverpoolphil said:
The bibs are part of the whole sponsership package which goes towards prize money for the player - the players dont get money unless they earn it through performance - so should be the same as caddies - they gain sponsership from clothing or footwear.

sorry but dont think they have a case at all
Click to expand...

Clearly 81 caddies think otherwise.
 
I tend to support the caddies on this one. By wearing the sponsor branded bib they cannot sell that advertising space to another company or wear a bib branded to their player's sponsor and perhaps pick up some revenue that way. How would the tour stars react if they had to have the tournament sponsors logo on their cap instead of getting paid to wear the one they do. There would be a similar reaction.

This means that the caddie is massively dependent on the performance of their player whilst the golfers themselves can secure an income from sponsorship irrespective of where they finish.
 
Imurg said:
Greed - maybe..
But they're trying to get a slice of the pie.
A caddy only, generally, gets paid if their guy makes the cut - that's a fairly universal agreement.
So the caddy who works for a serial cut-misser isn't getting paid
Click to expand...

Caddies generally get a fixed wage plus a percentage of winnings. Otherwise who would ever caddy for a serial cut-misser?

Read Four Iron in the Soul for a great inside look at the life of a caddie on the European Tour. :)
 
SocketRocket said:
Thats not the case with this guy. He received $1000 out of which he paid all his expenses and had 10% of winnings. Nothing else. He caddied for K J Choi by the way.
Click to expand...

That's quite possible! I did say 'normal'!

I knew someone (a Pro) who caddied for KJ Choi a few times. I got the impression that he wasn't particularly enamoured, but it was on a 'casual' basis, so that's quite a different relationship. I think he was offered - and took - some Matrix shafts in lieu of a fee. I tried a Cobra 270 (pre .830 limit days) with one of them in and it went 40+ yards past my normal one - and into some junk! - so I was 'hooked' and it has cost me quite a bit since! :whistle:

Guys I know have been on the bags of Cjeka, Dodd, Fleetwood, Pepperell, Campbell, Howell and Mason, to name a few. One (a complete nutter, so well matched) even still talks about his tournament as a 'fill-in' with Seve!
 
Will be an interesting case but really don't think they'll win. Their contract is with the player and I can't really see what their dispute with the sponsor is, especially as they don't have a contract with them. Out of interest, do any caddies get a cut from players or manufacturers as part of their man's endorsement package. I doubt it and surely carrying a Cally or TM bag is no different and they aren't getting recompense.
 
HomerJSimpson said:
Will be an interesting case but really don't think they'll win. Their contract is with the player and I can't really see what their dispute with the sponsor is, especially as they don't have a contract with them. Out of interest, do any caddies get a cut from players or manufacturers as part of their man's endorsement package. I doubt it and surely carrying a Cally or TM bag is no different and they aren't getting recompense.
Click to expand...

That is their point, they are being made wear bibs by the tour without having a contract with the sponsor or the tour for that matter.
 
Seems some players are getting on the caddies side as well - have noticed tweets by Donald and Westwood.
 
JamesR said:
Seems some players are getting on the caddies side as well - have noticed tweets by Donald and Westwood.
Click to expand...

Yes, but as the caddy's employer, is a sympathetic tweet really sufficient (I know Lee and Luke are at least breaking the otherwise universal player's silence but it does sound pathetic all round really).

Unfortunately I suspect most players, as employers of the caddies, are getting legal advice to stay schtum with legal action pending. Therefore the tour gets away with a lack of action as no real public or sponsor impact.

Rubbish really, the legal system is supposed to help or support justice and fairness but more often seems to get in the way!
 
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