Pro tour money

[Mick47]

Just curious, looking at the prize money list for Abu Dhabi. Ok the top half are well rewarded, but what about the lower earners? eg. Luke collected 7500ish euros. If his caddie gets 10%, his manager10% and doubtless there are there are others to pay. The hotel bill and the travelling can't be cheap either. On this occaision at least, Luke ain't exactly minting it is he?

Does anyone know exactly how caddies are paid? Do they have to pay their own hotel and travel expences? Are they only paid as a percentage of the golfers earnings or do they get a retainer as well? Just struck me that if caddies are only paid via a % of winnings and they have to pay their own way, then most would be bankrupt halfway through the season.

 

[chris661]

Just curious, looking at the prize money list for Abu Dhabi. Ok the top half are well rewarded, but what about the lower earners? eg. Luke collected 7500ish euros. If his caddie gets 10%, his manager10% and doubtless there are there are others to pay. The hotel bill and the travelling can't be cheap either. On this occaision at least, Luke ain't exactly minting it is he?

Does anyone know exactly how caddies are paid? Do they have to pay their own hotel and travel expences? Are they only paid as a percentage of the golfers earnings or do they get a retainer as well? Just struck me that if caddies are only paid via a % of winnings and they have to pay their own way, then most would be bankrupt halfway through the season.

6 grand for a weeks work? Are you kidding? Even if he spent another 3k on flights and digs he is still walking away with the same again in his back pocket, not really do much of a hardship is it?

 

[G1BB0]

has to pay tax aswell Chris!! Still ok for a weeks work compared to your average Joe. Also thats without sponsorship money. Surely even low ranked players with a tour card do ok even if they only get one year.

 

[Mick47]

6 grand for a weeks work? Are you kidding? Even if he spent another 3k on flights and digs he is still walking away with the same again in his back pocket, not really do much of a hardship is it?

No I agree, but a lot of people think if you make the pro tour it's a passport to riches, just seems to me that while that may be true for the big names, the ones who don't make the cut too often are maybe not so well off as a lot of us think.

 

[Ethan]

Typical caddy earnings are 10% for a win, 7% for top 10 and 5% otherwise. Some caddies at the top end are on a retainer or guaranteed minimum, and some can earn a bit extra with their own stuff on the side.

Top end caddies, e.g Billy Foster, Steve Williams, travel in comfort with their players, but many of them get lifts with other caddies from one Tour stop to the next and stay in dodgy hotels to conserve money.

 

[G1BB0]

scratch my last, just googled the averages and the lowest earner on PGA tour last year was $16,904, the european tour was 891 euros!!! even with sponsorship they aren't gonna put much food on the table.

Jason D has my total respect for even trying to make it as I can see its a proper grind until a big finish comes along

 

[moogie]

Yes, and thats on the Main Tours
Ive a couple of Friends playing Europro Tour Golf, there just aint any money in that at all, but its gotta be done, as a stepping stone process if u ever want to break onto the Challenge Tour or eventually the European Tour

 

[G1BB0]

I wonder what percentage of failed tour pro's go bankrupt!!!!

 

[markyjee]

Ethan's post on percentages the caddies earn is what I had heard/read somewhere.

Lawrence donnegan wrote a book called "4 iron in the soul" I think, gives quite a good insight into a caddie's life and the lower end golfers on tour a few years ago, Worth a read.

 

[Imurg]

You really need to be Top 10 the make it worthwhile as far as the R2D goes.
250k over the year won't keep your card.
With 30k on offer for coming 14th this week, and assuming a similar prize fund - which of course there isn't, you need 8-9 14th or better per year just to keep your card.
With smaller Tournaments giving far less - SA Open giving less then 25k for 9th - a series of top 10's is vital.

It's a bit like the National Lottery.
The Winner gets a huge sum but those with 4 numbers get 50 quid......
Rock gets £291500 but Olazabal. who came last gets £3224.

 

[Ethan]

scratch my last, just googled the averages and the lowest earner on PGA tour last year was $16,904, the european tour was 891 euros!!! even with sponsorship they aren't gonna put much food on the table.

But those were probably Challenge or Nationwide Tour players who got into 1 or 2 main Tour events, and may have played a fuller schedule on the second Tour.

 

[Neddy]

Surely making cuts is the key?

If you can make the cut even 50% of the time you will easily earn enough money to make a very decent living.

If not life must get pretty tough!

 

[moogie]

Surely making cuts is the key?

If you can make the cut even 50% of the time you will easily earn enough money to make a very decent living.

If not life must get pretty tough!

NO
Because as stated in an earlier post, Olazabal only won just over £3K for coming Last
So u say make 50% of cuts.........play 40 comps ( thats a lot too ) make 50% cuts = 20, 20 x £3K......
U LOSE YOUR TOUR CARD..................

Obviously hoping not to finish last every time, but somebody has to

 

[G1BB0]

dont forget that whilst your working your nuts off every week just to get those few extra quid to retain your card, theres a shedload of up and comings just waiting to take your place.... sod that for added pressure

 

[Neddy]

NO
Because as stated in an earlier post, Olazabal only won just over £3K for coming Last
So u say make 50% of cuts.........play 40 comps ( thats a lot too ) make 50% cuts = 20, 20 x £3K......
U LOSE YOUR TOUR CARD..................

Obviously hoping not to finish last every time, but somebody has to

Yeah I was working on the basis that if you made 20 cuts you'd have enough top 10's/25's to make enough money to keep your card. Point taken though!

How much money did someone like Nick Dougherty make last year?

 

[Imurg]

Surely making cuts is the key?

If you can make the cut even 50% of the time you will easily earn enough money to make a very decent living.

If not life must get pretty tough!

Take Oliver Wilson last season - discount any sponsorship etc - we're talking winnings.

Played 31 events
Made 15 cuts - about 50%
Won 199k euros - about £167k.
Caddy gets about £10k
Travelling/hotels - God knows but lets say £50k - just under £2k a week for flights, hotels, food etc etc
Take off tax and he's down to around 60k and that's before paying Coaches, entry fees etc
So say he's left with 40k after that.
That sounds ok - but then he's got the mortgage and anything else to pay.
PLus he's away 31 weeks of the year and on the other side of the World for 3 months.


Oh and he's just lost his job, relying on invitations and with an exemption catergory of 12 he's not going to get into any big events this year. He can play on the Challenge Tour but there's no money in that at all.

So not quite as rosy as it seems...

 

[Imurg]

How much money did someone like Nick Dougherty make last year?

10600 euros.........

 

[Mick47]

Makes you wonder, if Ethans %s are true Lukes caddie collected around £400 for this weeks work, not enough to cover the flight out never mind the hotel and the return ticket. He must be say two grand out of pocket, Could you afford to caddie the next tournamant if you were asked?

 

[Dreamer2]

Ethan's post on percentages the caddies earn is what I had heard/read somewhere.

Lawrence donnegan wrote a book called "4 iron in the soul" I think, gives quite a good insight into a caddie's life and the lower end golfers on tour a few years ago, Worth a read.

Ive just orded this book from amazon 1.39 free post ,,i hoping there is writing in the book for that price

 

[Imurg]

Well he made enough last year so I wouldn't worry too much. Probably made 400k+ last year alone....
He's probably on a retainer as well.........