When most people picture professional golf, they imagine the players — the swings, the celebrations, the green jackets. But standing just a few steps behind every great golfer is a caddie, a trusted partner who reads greens, manages distances, and keeps nerves in check when the pressure peaks. What many fans don’t realize is that the best caddies in the world don’t just carry bags — they carry home life-changing paychecks.
This article breaks down who the highest-paid caddies in golf are right now, how caddie pay actually works, and why some of these “bag men” are earning more than most PGA Tour players.
How Do Caddies Get Paid?
Before diving into the big earners, it helps to understand the pay structure. Caddies on the PGA Tour typically earn a base weekly salary that ranges from $1,500 to $4,000, depending on experience and the profile of the golfer they work for. At marquee events like the Masters, that weekly rate tends to climb toward the higher end of the range.
Beyond the base salary, the real money lies in performance bonuses. The widely accepted breakdown looks like this:
- 10% of prize money when the golfer wins the tournament
- 7% of prize money for a top-10 finish
- 5% of prize money for simply making the cut
This structure — often called the “5/7/10 rule” — means that when a golfer lands a massive payday, the caddie lands one too. With PGA Tour events now regularly offering purses of $20 million or more, even a mid-level finish can translate to a serious bonus for the person on the bag.
Caddies can also earn additional income through sponsorship deals. For example, Valspar, an official PGA Tour partner, awards caddies points for wearing branded hats during events. At the end of the season, those points convert to cash payouts that can range from $5,000 to $8,000 or higher depending on how well their player performed.
The Highest Paid Caddies in Golf Right Now
1. Ted Scott — Caddie for Scottie Scheffler
If there’s one name that defines the modern era of caddie earnings, it’s Ted Scott. The veteran looper has been on Scottie Scheffler’s bag since 2021, and the partnership has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Scheffler’s 2024 season was historically dominant — nine PGA Tour wins, the Masters title, and a FedEx Cup victory that pushed his total earnings to $55.2 million. Using the standard caddie percentage breakdown, Ted Scott’s estimated take for that season alone was around $5.4 million, placing him ahead of dozens of Tour players on the money list.
His remarkable run continued into 2025. Scheffler added five more wins and cleared over $27 million in prize money. Scott’s reported base salary sits around $135,000 per year, and with 10% bonuses stacking up from multiple victories, his estimated 2025 earnings climbed to over $2.7 million.
Scott previously spent years caddying for Bubba Watson, but the move to Scheffler’s bag has turned out to be one of the best career decisions in caddie history.
2. Gary Matthews — Caddie for Joaquin Niemann
On the LIV Golf side, Gary Matthews has quietly emerged as one of the highest earners in the caddie world. His player, Chilean star Joaquin Niemann, had a sensational 2025 LIV season — five individual event wins in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia, and the UK. Each LIV victory carries an individual prize of at least $4 million, which means Matthews collected roughly $400,000 per win.
Niemann also made a run at the LIV Golf Individual Championship, finishing as runner-up to Jon Rahm and earning $8 million from that event alone — adding another $800,000 to Matthews’ year. Factor in additional top-10 payouts across the season, and Matthews’ estimated 2025 earnings reached approximately $2.93 million, making him the top-earning caddie on the LIV circuit that year.
3. Harry Diamond — Caddie for Rory McIlroy
Harry Diamond isn’t just Rory McIlroy’s caddie — he’s one of his oldest friends. The two grew up together at Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland and Diamond has been full-time on McIlroy’s bag since 2017. He was even McIlroy’s best man at his wedding.
The 2025 season was a landmark year for both of them. McIlroy won the Masters, completing a Career Grand Slam as just the sixth player in history to do so. He also claimed the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and The Players Championship, pushing his 2025 prize money to just under $17 million. Diamond’s estimated 2025 earnings came to around $1.38–$2 million in bonus income alone.
Their partnership carried into 2026. At the 2026 Masters — which featured a record $22.5 million purse — McIlroy won again, and Diamond earned approximately $450,000 from that single tournament.
When he’s not on the bag, Diamond runs his own businesses, including bars and hotels in Northern Ireland.
4. Adam Hayes — Caddie for Jon Rahm
Jon Rahm’s move to LIV Golf put his caddie, Adam Hayes, in a very profitable position. While Rahm didn’t rack up individual event wins during the 2025 regular season, his consistency was remarkable — seven top-10 finishes kept the bonuses flowing steadily.
The massive payday came at the LIV Golf Individual Championship, where Rahm earned $18 million for the second consecutive year. That single performance put approximately $1.8 million in Hayes’ pocket. Combined with his top-10 percentage cuts throughout the year, Hayes earned a very comfortable season total.
5. Ian Finnis — Caddie for Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood’s breakout PGA Tour win at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club — a $10 million winner’s check — was a defining moment for his caddie Ian Finnis. That single victory alone netted Finnis an estimated $1 million. When seven additional top-10 finishes during the 2025 season are added in, Finnis’ total caddie earnings came to roughly $1.59 million for the year.
The All-Time Legend: Steve Williams
No article about the highest paid caddies is complete without mentioning Steve Williams, arguably the most successful — and highest-earning — caddie in the history of professional golf.
Williams, a New Zealander, started caddying at age ten and turned professional in his teens. After working with Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd, he joined Tiger Woods’ team in 1999, beginning a 12-year partnership that changed what it meant to be a golf caddie.
During his time with Woods, Williams was on the bag for 13 of Woods’ 15 major championships and more than 60 PGA Tour victories. Uniquely, Williams reportedly received 15% of Woods’ tournament winnings — a higher cut than the standard 10% — which reflects both his value and the negotiating leverage he held. In 2007 alone, he earned an estimated $1.4 million in commissions, placing him among the top 75 earners on the PGA Tour money list that year — without hitting a single shot.
After parting ways with Woods in 2011, Williams went on to caddie for Adam Scott, adding a 14th major win to his tally when Scott won the 2013 Masters. Over his career, Williams accumulated an estimated $12–$20 million, a net worth that made him one of the highest-paid athletes in New Zealand history during his peak years.
Williams has since retired from full-time caddying, but his legacy defines what the role can become in the hands of a true professional.
Caddie Earnings at a Glance: 2025 Season
| Caddie | Golfer | Tour | Estimated 2025 Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Matthews | Joaquin Niemann | LIV Golf | ~$2.93 million |
| Ted Scott | Scottie Scheffler | PGA Tour | ~$2.7 million |
| Harry Diamond | Rory McIlroy | PGA Tour | ~$1.38–$2 million |
| Adam Hayes | Jon Rahm | LIV Golf | ~$1.8 million (Championship alone) |
| Ian Finnis | Tommy Fleetwood | PGA Tour | ~$1.59 million |
| Austin Kaiser | Xander Schauffele | PGA Tour | ~$500,000 |
Note: Figures are estimates based on publicly available prize money data and the standard caddie percentage framework. Actual earnings may vary.
What It Takes to Be a Top-Earning Caddie
The pay numbers are eye-catching, but the job is far from glamorous. Top caddies are responsible for far more than carrying a 50-pound bag across 18 holes. Their role includes:
- Course management: Advising on club selection, wind conditions, and shot shape
- Green reading: Helping analyze slope and break before every putt
- Distance management: Providing precise yardages and accounting for elevation changes
- Mental support: Keeping a player calm and focused during pressure moments
- Logistics: Managing travel, equipment, and scheduling throughout the season
Many of the highest-paid caddies are former professional or competitive golfers themselves, bringing firsthand knowledge of what it feels like to stand over a crucial shot.
The job also comes with real costs. Caddies cover their own travel, accommodation, and meals — expenses that can run between $25,000 and $50,000 annually, depending on the tour schedule.
How LIV Golf Changed the Caddie Pay Landscape
The emergence of LIV Golf has had a significant effect on what caddies can earn. Individual event prizes of $4 million — compared to a typical PGA Tour first prize that can range widely — mean that a single LIV win generates a much larger caddie bonus in one week than many Tour events offer.
Gary Matthews’ 2025 earnings are the clearest example of this shift. Five individual LIV wins at $400,000 each, plus the Championship payday, put him at the top of the caddie earnings table — a position that would have been difficult to reach solely through PGA Tour events.
FAQs About the Highest Paid Caddies
Q: Who is the highest-paid caddie in golf history?
Steve Williams holds that distinction. During his years caddying for Tiger Woods, he earned an estimated $12 million or more in salary and bonuses, with a reported 15% cut of Woods’ tournament winnings rather than the standard 10%. His career earnings across all partnerships are estimated at $20 million.
Q: How much does Ted Scott earn as Scottie Scheffler’s caddie?
Ted Scott’s reported base salary is around $135,000 per year. On top of that, he earns 10% of Scheffler’s prize money for wins. During Scheffler’s dominant 2024 season, Scott is estimated to have earned around $5.4 million. In 2025, his earnings were estimated at over $2.7 million.
Q: What percentage of prize money do caddies earn?
The standard industry breakdown is 10% for a win, 7% for a top-10 finish, and 5% for making the cut. This is a general industry norm rather than a formal rule, and individual agreements between players and caddies can vary.
Q: Do caddies on LIV Golf earn more than PGA Tour caddies?
LIV’s larger individual event prizes mean a single win can generate a much bigger caddie bonus. However, the PGA Tour offers more events per season, so consistent top performers on Tour can also build substantial earnings over a full schedule. The highest earners currently span both tours.
Q: Do caddies pay their own travel expenses?
Yes. Professional caddies generally cover their own travel, lodging, and food during the season. These out-of-pocket costs can range from $25,000 to $50,000 per year, which is an important factor when calculating real take-home income.
Q: Can caddies earn money from sponsorships?
Yes. Sponsorship deals — such as the PGA Tour’s partnership with Valspar — allow caddies to earn money by wearing branded gear during events. Payouts vary based on player performance throughout the season and can add thousands of dollars to a caddie’s annual income.
Q: How much did Harry Diamond earn from the 2026 Masters?
Harry Diamond earned approximately $450,000 from Rory McIlroy’s win at the 2026 Masters, which featured a record $22.5 million purse. McIlroy took home a $4.5 million winner’s share, and Diamond received the standard 10% cut.
Q: Are caddie salaries publicly disclosed?
No. The golf industry does not formally disclose caddie salaries or bonus agreements. The figures discussed in this article are estimates based on publicly reported prize money data and the widely cited caddie percentage framework.