For the most part, if golfers are able to consistently make cuts, itll be at least a decent weekly bonus for caddies. Elliot walks with Matthew Fitzpatrick and Rory McIlroy at the 2014 Masters (Getty). His age is 42 years of age. Were very close, and hesprobably my best friend, Pavinsays. If he somehow pops off the British Open at Portrush, he said, I dont think Im going to be able to work for the rest of the year. Gwk, (Note: This story appears in the December issue of Golfweek.). It will be special for me. At the British Open at Turnberry in 1986, Greg had a five-stroke lead and were on 18 and I went to grab the flag and a greenkeeper came up to me and said, What are you doing? I said, Its a tradition to take the winning flag and for the caddie to keep it. He ripped it from me and said, Youre not going to keep this one, and he ran off with it, Bender recalls. Koepka had a one-stroke lead over his idol, Adam Scott, and Tiger Woods was charging. #unreal http://t.co/dD08hZry4w" The USGA sent it to me. 'Absolutely horrendous': Xander Schauffele explains Bay Hill's juicy rough, How LIV Golf's ratings fared in its network TV debut, Driver tosses, flubs and calls to rules officials: Sunday at the Hero was wild, Tour rules official explains why Viktor Hovland was not hit with costly penalty, 'I've never experienced that before': Spieth, Stenson explain rare 2-stroke penalties, Viktor Hovland wins chaotic Hero World Challenge behind brilliant 3-hole stretch, What a disaster: Hero Challenge leader hits five straight chips (!) One truly great guy with even a better attitude. Kerr, who brags that he has caddied for 35 years on Tour, at over 125 majors, for 14 major winners, including nine Hall of Famers and six former World No. Elliott was a good golfer in his own right, winning titles such as the Ulster Boys Championship and the Ulster Youth Championship as well as representing Ireland at the 1990 European Youths Championship. I dont know how it happened, says Scott, who earned his third Masters flag working on the bag of Scottie Scheffler to go with the previous two he pocketed with Bubba Watson in 2012 and 2014. I have the memories. While, Ill tell you what, full-time caddies out here? By the end of his days hoof the backs of his socks were soaked through with blood. Someone like Pete Bender, who worked his first tournament for Frank Beard at the 1969 Lucky Strike International in San Francisco. As a youngster watching golf tournaments on TV in Japan, I saw that it is a tradition for caddies to take home the 18th-green flag, Hayafuji says. When you're cleaning up in the Majors (Koepka won 4/8 from 2017-19) then your percentage is going to work out very nicely. Edwards was with Watson, working at the PGA Seniors Championship in West Palm Beach, Florida, at the time. But Cowan made a point to keep flags from wins alongside Jim Furyk at the 2010 Tour Championship and 2003 U.S. Open that one, however, isnt from 18. Holes it, two-shot lead, Elliott said, still awestruck. Every third caddie suggested asking Williams, the most prolific winner among caddies. 1s. He might have changed his body a little bit and worked out a little more, but apart from that we both get out there and Ill do my homework and hell practise away. Whoever started it, Im grateful for it.. Elliott hails from Portrush in Northern Ireland. 1 player in the world. It just came down to missing a few clutch putts. All of the bonus money is believed to be added on top of the standard salary he makes as well. I wouldnt bother., Payne Stewart picks up his caddie Mike Hicks after sinking his putt on the 18th green at Pinehurst No. St. Johns County (Florida) Sheriffs investigators said the fire started in an upstairs storage room where he kept part of his collection of golf memorabilia. In the final round of the US Open last month, Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson - close friends and gym buddies - barely spoke a word to each. Visit our corporate site. Around that same time Koepka and Elliot met each other at a PGA driving range. He is dynamic on Instagram. January hadnt been as much fun for Elliott, the longtime caddie for Brooks Koepka. July 16, 2019 at 7:47 AM. "Obviously Rick kind of. Elliot and Koepka at the 2016 Ryder Cup in Minnesota (Getty). Ill be getting plenty of good needle, he said at the time. Start with some of the old-timers on the theory that if anyone knows, its going to be one of the crusty veterans who has seen it all. But while possessing total self-assurance, Koepka regularly seeks wise counsel from family and others in his circle, says Elliott. At regular events I think there is the sense that hes the overwhelming favourite because hes the best in the world. All registered in England and Wales. Brooks Koepka is visiting Northern Ireland for the first time, but his bag will be carried by Ricky Elliott, a Portrush native, who brings an intimate local knowledge granted to few players this week. Ricky Elliott remembers crazy year on Brooks Koepkas bag, including a win at the PGA and a memorable major at home in Portrush, Caddie Ricky Elliott rediscovers love for playing golf again during break. "We made the cut and then Claude said at the end of the week, 'do you fancy doing a few more?' Id rather go to sleep at night thinking about Brooks game rather than my own. He is only a stroke behind the current leader, Brian Harman. Elliot and Koepka at the 2016 Ryder Cup (Getty). Ricky Elliott, longtime caddie for Brooks Koepka, is one step ahead of him. "Brooks has got a big following in Portrush, probably because of me, so he'll be well supported and I think Portrush will be set up well for him.". On the LPGA, its closer to $1,200. Getty My job is to keep things light. Is there anything hes particular about in a caddie? Getty Images. Just throw it into reverse.. Hicks, Stricklerand Cayce Kerr each mentioned him during separate conversations. The latest Tweets from Ricky Elliott (@RickyElliott): "The Open coming back home to Portrush. Hes not a know it all. I was so jacked up at the time, I said, Ill tell you what, if you can get it from me, you can have it., Justin Thomas and his caddie Jim Bones Mackay share a laugh before the trophy ceremony in the aftermath of Thomass victory at the 2022 PGA Championship. The PGA Tour isn't helping Bryson with its new vow to boot spectators. Elliot is slightly different than his fellow caddies though. I gave all my flags away. For Ricky Elliott, 2018 ended much as it began: going downhill fast. PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland - Brooks Koepka's normally all-business demeanor opened slightly earlier this year when he was asked to describe caddie Ricky . Bender only kept a couple of flags. Together they have brought Koepka up to the top level of golfers and with Elliots help, Koepka has started racking up some of his first major tournament wins. (Some say this is where the saying Winner, winner, chicken dinner was coined.). I honestly dont know, he says. These numbers offer up a baseline idea of what Elliott makes while working alongside Koepka, and were going to take a deeper dive into it. He loves links golf with a particular love of Royal Dornoch and Kingsbarns. Brooks Koepka is a four-time major champion and the No. Top 100 Courses in the U.S.: GOLFs all-new 2022-23 ranking is here! Just a few holes into the year in Hawaii, a wrist injury benched his man for three months. (Image credit: Getty Images) Youre still always where youre from, but Im pleased as punch to be an American citizen.. I think he's staying with them that week. No where was this more apparent than at The Masters in 2014. According to the police, other collectibles hanging on walls in other parts of the house were found damaged or smashed, including an autographed flag from the 18th green at Augusta National, which Watson had signed after winning the 1981 Masters. Beyond that, PGA.com pointed out that Koepka won an additional $1.98 million for his victory at the 2018 PGA Championship, adding roughly another $198,000 to Elliotts bonuses for the year. Elliott told his man to hit a 5-iron. The man, who played collegiate golf at Mount Mercy University in Iowa, hit his first hole-in-one in the 1985 Waterloo Open. I wouldnt want anybody else on my bag, I know that. 2 during the final round of the 1999 US Open Championship twin the title. Mike Hicks, who has a signed and personalized flag from winning the 1999 U.S. Open with Payne Stewart, also proved to be little help. When I won my first tournament in 1970, I didnt even think about that, says Bender, who then told a story that makes it sound as if the flag alreadywas the caddies prize at least as far back as the mid-1980s. Northern Irishman Ricky Elliott has been Brooks Koepka's bagman during all four of his Major wins. native joined GOLF in 2017 after two years scuffling on the mini-tours. Brooks Koepka and his caddie, Ricky Elliott. What does Greiner do differently than Kaiser? He was with Ben Curtis during his 2012 Texas Open win and also caddied for Matt Fitzpatrick during the 2014 Masters. Which are the hardest holes at Augusta National? Brooks picked a winner & very loyal & truthful man to be by his side. He is from Portrush in Northern Ireland. "The first practice we played I just thought, 'This guy is the real deal, he is hitting the ball unbelievably'. 845898). Other than Ricky, I probably know his game better than anybody, Chase said. Golfweek cites a story in Forbes which states that caddies would receive 10 percent if a player won the event, seven percent for a top-10 finish and five percent for anything lower. "I'm excited to get over there," Koepka said. Phil Mickelson, for one, had a tradition where he gave his winning flag from 18 notto Bones, his caddie of 25 years until their breakup in 2017, but rather to his grandfather, Al Santos, one of the original Pebble Beach caddies, who hung them on his kitchen wall. January hadn't been as much fun for Elliott, the longtime caddie for Brooks Koepka. (Former PGA Tour rules officials) Slugger White would probably slap a fine on you if he saw you taking one, says The Growler, who started caddyingin 1973 after he got out of the service. Elliot on the other hand, is a grizzled Irishman, who has seen his fair share of golf courses. I feel very fortunate that Im able to do that here with the weather being so good.. After finishing second to Tiger Woods in the Masters last month, Koepka then led from start to finish at Bethpage despite a late wobble. Ricky Elliott, Brooks Koepka's caddie, had initially tested negative for COVID-19 before a follow-up test. The U.S. team won the Ryder Cup that year, beating Europe 17-11. The American says Elliott, a former Ulster junior golf champion, has played a key role since working with him from 2013. Pictured: Brooks Koepka talks with his caddie Ricky Elliott at the 2019 PGA Championship. I honestly thought if we could play at all this year it would be a bonus, Elliott said. Elliott came to the U.S. for college, and he attended the University of Toledo in Ohio. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/lists/18th-hole-flag-becoming-caddie-trophy/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, PGA Tour approves radical schedule changes, reducing fields in elevated events and ending cuts, Drivers used by PGA Tour pros ranked in the top 10 in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, Best irons for 2023 for every handicap and playing style. Cuban /Allsport), Graeme McDowell celebrates victory on the 18th green with his caddy Ken Comboy during the final round of the 2013 Alstom Open de France at Le Golf National in Paris. My heart was full of gratitude, and it was the natural thing for me to bow and show respect for the Masters.. after his grandfathers death. He finally got there as a caddie, which is not unusual . Maybe we play too aggressive in those. Nick Faldo prepares to hit the ball as Fanny Sunneson looks on during the 1996 Mercedes Championship at the La Costa Spa & Resort in Carlsbad, California. Get insight to top players, instructions & drills and extensive coverage of equipment, Plus tips on how to play better and interviews with the biggest names. There was just something about him. Red Lobster was the destination of choice for several of those victory celebrations after Big Brian raved about the all-you-can-eat shrimp. Despite their familiarity, Greiner said there were still a few things that he learned from going behind-the-scenes of Schauffeles process. 1 player in the world. Well, sometimes you need to be an amateur chiropractor. 20 May 2019 Golf. Joe was good on positive reinforcement and thats my only real pet peeve from a caddie.. He found himself in need of a caddie when his regular caddie ran into some visa problems. Elliot and Koepka are one of golfs odd couples. Elliott was on the bag for Dutchman Maarten Lafeber and 2003 Open Champion Ben Curtis before starting work with Koepka in 2013. Ricky Elliot, Brooks Koepkas Caddie: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Please review our privacy policy here: https://heavy.com/privacy-policy/, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. When the year wrapped up, Koepka had won $7,094,047 total while posting six top-10 finishes. Picture: Richard Sellers/PA Wire Koepka's record in majors this season is written in. He always wants to know the yardage and where the wind is. He gave the 18th-hole flag from their major together to Furyk, and the club presented him with the flag from the eighth hole at Olympia Fields in Chicago. Koepka won his first major in the 2017 US Open at Erin Hills and after becoming the first player since Curtis Strange in 1989 to defend the title at Shinnecock Hills, he also won the 2018 US PGA at Bellerive. In December, that meant a maiden ski trip to Colorado. He didnt even own a set of clubs when he flew to Scotland. Elliott recalls the USGA asked him if he wanted the flag. A Pinkerton (security guard) said, You cant have that, its private property. I was baffled that hed say that. Elliott is from Portrush, Northern Ireland, host of this years Open Championship. Whereas the Majors are played at tougher courses, with a lot more players there, and maybe you play safer than you do in the Tour events. #teamutah Caddie rules: Show up,Keep up,Shut up https://t.co/3gkOlAxE9X. Elliott represented Ireland at the 1990 European Youths Championship with Michael Hoey, who has gone on to win five times on the European Tour (now DP World Tour). What transpired between Hawaii and Colorado was, of course, a career season for Koepka: a successful U.S. Open defense, victory at the PGA Championship and ascending to World No. His estimated net worth as of 2020 is still under review. He doesnt think he has it all. And I love the guy to death.". I cant get a 5-iron there, Koepka pressed. Brooks Koepka and his caddie-slash-brother Chase. He calls it a good way to remember the week. Schauffele made bogey at No. He and his fellow caddies had their own tradition: If your boss won, you bought dinner. I thought it was ballsy for him to do it honestly. The former junior and amateur standout player from Portrush, Northern Ireland won four titles in his younger days before getting into caddying these past 15 years. He made the cut that week, played with Tiger (Woods) on Sunday and said to me in the locker room, Do you fancy doing a few in Europe?'. Elliott grew up with fellow Northern Irishman and Portrush native Graeme McDowell, and hes good friends with Ian Poulter too. 4 Brooks Koepka has told Golfweek that he is withdrawing from the Travelers Championship after his caddie, Ricky Elliott, became the latest to test positive for coronavirus on the PGA Tour.. Elliott tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday morning at TPC River Highlands having previously tested negative 48 hours earlier when he arrived at the tournament. Just a few holes into the year in Hawaii, a wrist injury benched his man for three months. So if Elliotts rediscovering his passion for playing the game, how interested would he be in eventually getting his own caddie? I mean, to this day, if we hit one over the back [of the green], he'd probably just turn around to me and go, 'Well, I hit that quite a bit hard'. Koepkas coach Claude Harmon III improves your driving. As detailed in Alan Shipnucks unauthorized biographyof Mickelson, Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and unauthorized) Biography of Golf s Most Colorful Superstar, Mackay understood and respected that gesture, but 19 more Tour victories would follow, including four majors, and he never got to keep a single flag., During the week of the WM Phoenix Open, Bones hosted a dinner party for players and caddies at his home and without fail he would be asked, Where are the flags?, Thats a giant f you to a caddie, says someone described as very close to Mackay in the Mickelson biography. To receive GOLFs all-new newsletters,subscribe for free here. Even those caddies that do admit to cherishing them say that they often wind up in a tube, unframed, stuffed in a closet or in the case of Gareth Lord, who worked for Henrik Stenson during his British Open triumph in 2016, in a drawer in a one-bedroom apartment in Monaco. But its a cool tradition, a huge reward and a special thing. He didnt have a choice, I have news for you, LaCava said before breaking into a story about what happened after he walked off the 18th green with the flag and pole in 1992. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images). Like, theres this weird thing he does with his lag putts where if he has a 30-footer, he looks 10 feet out, takes a practice stroke, looks 20 feet out, takes a practice stroke, looks 30 feet out, takes a practice stroke, then looks at the hole. Theyve been together eversince. https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2018/12/13/19th-hole-behind-brooks-caddie-ricky-elliott-reveals-secrets-to-koepkas-success/, Mexico, Caribbean, Atlantic islands, Central America, Top 50 Classic Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain & Ireland, New Rules of Golf: 15 things you need to know for 2019, Major mentality: Brooks Koepka sits atop golf world with chip on shoulder, The Forecaddie: Expect Rory McIlroy to remain fixture on European Tour, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Elliotts been playing with some buddies who work for different airlines who are also temporarily out of work due to the pandemic. Ive got a lot of respect for what they do, Chase said after the round. "Ricky Elliott, who caddies for Brooks Koepka, was a guy I looked up to when I was about 12 or 13 because he was pretty much the best junior player here in Portrush," McDowell said. He makes a quick decision once we get to the ball. 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It began: going downhill fast Koepka had a one-stroke lead over his idol Adam... If Elliotts rediscovering his passion for playing the game, how interested would he in! Iowa, hit his first hole-in-one in the case of edwards, literally about Brooks rather.
