Who Earned More: Williams vs. Scott

Williams, the Original Emperor Caddie: Woods' Elite Assistant
Received 10% of All Prize Money, Earnings Totaled $8.83 Million
Scott, the New Emperor Caddie: Met Scheffler at Bible Study
Earned $5.34 Million Last Year, $2.43 Million This Yea

Caddies are assistants to tour players. They do their utmost to help golfers win. There are caddies who have achieved the greatest results by partnering with the best players. Steve Williams of New Zealand, who carried the bag for the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods of the United States, and Ted Scott of the United States, who assists world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, are prime examples. These two caddies have earned far more than many players. This is the story of the "old and new emperor caddies."

Williams was the elite caddie who accompanied Woods during his prime. He was even called the highest-paid sportsman in New Zealand. Williams worked as Woods's caddie for 12 years, from 1999 to 2011. He helped Woods win 13 of his 15 major championships.

Williams was born in December 1963 in Wellington. He started playing golf at a young age and lowered his handicap to 2 by the age of 13. As a teenager, he caddied for Peter Thomson of Australia, a five-time major winner, at the 1976 New Zealand Open, where Thomson finished third. Williams worked as a full-time caddie from his teenage years. He also carried the bag for "The Great White Shark" Greg Norman of Australia.

Caddie Steve Williams (left) is the original "Emperor Caddie" who collaborated with Tiger Woods for 72 wins. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Williams became Woods's caddie at the request of Woods's swing coach, Butch Harmon of the United States. At the 1999 PGA Championship, a major tournament, he helped Woods secure victory. When Sergio Garcia of Spain was mounting a fierce chase, Williams gave Woods crucial advice. On the 17th hole, he read the putting line for Woods, who sank his par putt and built tremendous trust with Williams. At the time, Woods edged out Garcia by a single stroke.

Williams had a good relationship with Woods. After winning the 2008 U.S. Open, Woods underwent knee surgery. During his recovery, he lent Williams his yacht for a week-a yacht built in 2004 with a $20 million investment. There was some friction when Williams and Woods parted ways, but over time, their relationship was restored. Woods even served as a groomsman at Williams's wedding.

Typically, caddies receive a fixed fee of $1,500 to $4,000 per tournament, plus a percentage of the player's winnings. The standard contract between a tour pro and a caddie pays 10% of the prize money for a win, 7% for a top-10 finish, and 5% otherwise. Of course, confidentiality clauses are included in their contracts.

There were even rumors that Woods paid Williams 10% of all his winnings, regardless of placement. During their 12-year partnership, Woods earned $88.3 million in prize money. Williams is estimated to have received $8.83 million (approximately 12.5 billion won). In addition to tournament fees, Williams had his own sponsorship deals. He was sponsored by Nike Golf, TAG Heuer, and Valvoline. Woods, who holds the record for most PGA Tour wins at 82, also tops the career earnings list with $120,999,166.

Caddy Ted Scott (left) is the top assistant who helped Scottie Scheffler reach the world No. 1 ranking. Photo by AFP News Agency

Scheffler's caddie, Scott, has also made an enormous amount of money. Scott worked as Bubba Watson's caddie for 15 years. Together, they won the Masters twice before going their separate ways in September 2021. After leaving Watson, Scott also caddied for Paul Azinger and Grant Waite, both of the United States.

Scott met Scheffler at a Bible study group. They developed a mutual fondness and ultimately became top partners in 2022. Before Scott became his caddie, Scheffler did not have a major impact. In 2023, at their fifth tournament together-the WM Phoenix Open-Scheffler claimed his first PGA Tour victory. Scott remained humble at the time, saying, "Scheffler was already a world-class player before I became his caddie. I don't have any magic formula."

The PGA Tour market has grown in size. Since the launch of LIV Golf in 2022, total prize money for tournaments has increased. There are now eight signature events, each with a $20 million purse. Scheffler has led the PGA Tour in earnings for the past four seasons. Last year, he played in 19 tournaments, winning seven times and finishing in the top 10 on 16 occasions. He earned a total of $29,228,357. This year, he has already collected six wins and $27,659,550. At 29 years old, Scheffler has 19 career PGA Tour wins and has earned $99,453,136 in prize money, ranking second all-time.

Scotty Scheffler's caddie Ted Scott is regarded as the best assistant on the PGA Tour. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

There has never been a better era for caddie profitability than now. As Scheffler racks up huge prize money, Scott is smiling all the way to the bank. Local estimates suggest that Scott earned $5,338,318 (about 7.6 billion won) in prize money last year alone, and $2,430,414 (about 3.4 billion won) so far this year. Scott is recognized as the top caddie in the industry, while Scheffler is at the peak of his game. Scott's bank account is expected to keep growing. Although Scott has not yet surpassed Williams's earnings, it appears only a matter of time before he becomes the new "number one caddie."

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