PGA Tour Caddie Reports Verbal Abuse So Bad He Had To See A Therapist

We’ve all had our fits of rage on the golf course. For us, we either badger ourselves or take it out on our equipment—who hasn’t flung a club in disgust?

Perhaps that’s a healthy outlet to vent frustration, compared to what a PGA Tour caddie wrote about at Golf Digest.

From his account, it sounds like the thickest skin is required to be a looper for a pro golfer.

The caddie wrote:

“I’m sure some of you get chewed out by your bosses, but I doubt they talk to you the way some players talk to us. One player who I like used to call me ‘dumbass’ after every bad shot anytime we were in disagreement. He said it in jest but also as a way of deflection to preserve his self-confidence. If you keep hearing you’re a dumbass, you begin to think, Well, maybe I am a dumbass.

“This might sound a little funny, but I ended up seeing a therapist to talk about how to come to terms with it and how to stop it.”

Undercover Caddie: Coping with verbal abuse is part of the job of looping on tour | @GolfDigest.com https://t.co/WwpBuoHg1o

— Mike Carroccetto (@wildfiremike) May 11, 2023

He said his player got hurt before he was able to address it, but he went on to say that this type of talk is nothing new:

“There is a guy who everyone considers a nice dude except for the caddies. He rides his caddie hard: Nothing is ever his fault, and when things are going bad, boy, is he in a bad mood. The worst is that he talks massive crap behind his caddie’s back.”

For others, the relationship is contentious but can be attributed to the pressure golfers feel on the course.

“There’s a reason you never see the reaction from one under-30 superstar. The networks know if they stay on him for too long, there’s a F-bomb being shot at his loop.” But the caddie went on to add, “They have a great relationship, and after a win a few years back, this player bought his caddie a car to say thanks. Looking like a jerk doesn’t mean you are a jerk, if you know what I mean.”

Last year, perhaps capitalizing on the difficulties that some caddies face on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf received plenty of praise on how the new circuit treats bagmen. Brooks Koepka said at the time that LIV “treats caddies like human beings.”

Some caddies are really enjoying their new place of work. 👀

See the full story: https://t.co/ODqFkJmnh2 pic.twitter.com/anDtkkIUzc

— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) May 2, 2023

Cover Image Via Golf Digest