'Schaeffler Caddy' Scott: "I am the Kingmaker"... "Who is the Greatest Emperor Caddy of All Time?"

Watson and Edwards' '30-Year Friendship', Woods Caddie "Williams vs Rakaba", McIlroy and Diamond's "Special Caddie Stories"

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is sharing his joy with caddie Teddy Scott immediately after winning the Masters.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "I am the kingmaker."

Ted Scott has risen to fame as the 'Emperor Caddie' after caddying for Scottie Scheffler, who recently won 4 out of 7 tournaments. The total winner's bonus already amounts to $843,600 (1.06 billion KRW). It is worth noting that Scott, who started working with Scheffler in November last year, helped him reach world No. 1 in just six months. We looked into the very special stories of players and their caddies, including Tom Watson and Bruce Edwards, Tiger Woods (all from the U.S.) and Steve Williams (New Zealand), Rory McIlroy and J.P. Fitzgerald (both from Northern Ireland).

▲ Scheffler and Scott: "By the power of faith" = Scheffler is known as a devout Christian. Scott also met him through a Bible study group. Scott is a 'veteran caddie' who teamed up with the long hitter Bubba Watson (U.S.) to win the Masters in 2012 and 2014, accumulating 10 PGA Tour wins together. After retiring last fall, Scott started a golf lesson business. Interestingly, he requested Scheffler not to get angry during play.

25-year-old Scheffler entered the PGA Tour in 2020 and immediately won Rookie of the Year. Since Scott joined him in February, they achieved their first victory at the 'Golf Liberation Zone' Phoenix Open, then won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the World Golf Championships (WGC) Dell Match Play in March, and captured the major Masters in April. All four tournaments were top-tier matches, and Scheffler's 2022 season earnings reached $10,138,000 (1.27 billion KRW). This explains Scott's enormous income.

Tom Watson (right) continued his "30-year friendship" with caddie Bruce Edwards.

▲ Watson and Edwards: "We are eternal friends" = The story of Watson and caddie Bruce Edwards is legendary. Their first connection was in 1973, and their friendship lasted for 30 years. When Watson's performance declined, he sent Edwards to 'The Great White Shark' Greg Norman (Australia), saying "The best caddie should be with a top-ranked player." However, Edwards returned to Watson shortly after and helped him win the Memorial Tournament in June 1996.

The story became more heartbreaking when Edwards was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease in 2003. At Watson's farewell at the 2016 Masters, he placed an egg salad sandwich wrapped in a plastic bag on a bench at the 13th hole to commemorate Edwards, who passed away in 2004. Every time Edwards played the Masters and reached the 13th tee after leaving the 12th green, Watson reminisced about the times Edwards handed him sandwiches.

Tiger Woods (left) and caddie Steve Williams became enemies after their split.

▲ Woods' caddies: "Williams vs. Lacava" = Steve Williams is the 'original Emperor Caddie.' He worked with Tiger Woods from 1999 to 2011, during which Woods won 13 major titles and 72 total victories. Williams earned over $1 million annually during this period, and Woods generously gifted him prizes such as cars, making his haul even more lucrative. Their relationship soured after Woods' 2011 'sex scandal,' when Williams briefly caddied for Adam Scott (Australia) and was then dismissed. Williams also sparked racial controversy by using the term 'black idiot.'

In October 2011, Woods found another 'life caddie' in Joe Lacava. Lacava said he wanted to work with Tiger and chose to join Woods, who was in a declining phase, instead of the rising Dustin Johnson (U.S.). The gamble paid off with three wins in 2012 and five in 2013. Lacava stayed by Woods' side during his 2014-2017 hiatus and helped him claim victories at the 2018 Tour Championship and the 2019 Masters. Woods returned to the Masters this year after a 14-month absence following a car accident in February last year, once again demonstrating his exceptional value.

▲ McIlroy's explosive fallout: "You're fired immediately" = Rory McIlroy and caddie J.P. Fitzgerald crossed the point of no return on the first day of the 2017 Open Championship in July. After McIlroy made four bogeys in the first five holes, Fitzgerald scolded him with profanity before the tee shot on the 6th hole, asking, "What on earth are you doing?" Rumors of their split surfaced within 10 days. Although Fitzgerald led McIlroy to four major wins, including the 2016 Playoff (PO) victory, he was ultimately fired.

The new caddie was Harry Diamond, a childhood friend who once stood as a groomsman at McIlroy's wedding. When McIlroy hit the '15 million dollar jackpot' at the 2019 PO, he immediately transferred $1.5 million (188 million KRW) to Diamond's bank account, earning the envy of other caddies. In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and strict quarantine rules such as the '2-week self-isolation' in the U.S., McIlroy showed great generosity by providing Diamond, who traveled between Northern Ireland and the U.S., with a house.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.