Tiger / Joe LaCava

[grm24]

2 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

Very few loopers last beyond their mid 50's.  Terry Holt, Mike Cowan, and Bones are the few that come to mind.  But the wear and tear on the legs is what did me in from a full time gig at 57. 

Andy Martinez (Johnny Miller, Tom Lehman) was another tour caddie that made it past age 50 and deserves a shout. Article linked below is from 2017.

 

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/golf/article/Caddie-Andrew-Martinez-still-dispensing-sage-10910234.php

[braincramp52]

11 hours ago, vikingjr25 said:

Tiger is worth a billion dollars. Joe is getting paid.

So is Phil but Bones supposedly didn't get paid.🙄

[Shilgy]

2 hours ago, braincramp52 said:

So is Phil but Bones supposedly didn't get paid.🙄

Neither one of them are estimated to be worth a billion.  Tiger they have pegged at $800m and Phil $300m. Based on recent stories I would guess Tiger may be a bit more and Phil quite a bit less.

 

Again, according to estimates  Tiger has made $1.7b and Phil around $800m. When you spend and gamble the way Phil allegedly does it’s hard to be worth more than you have made.

[Creedo77]

10 hours ago, grm24 said:

Andy Martinez (Johnny Miller, Tom Lehman) was another tour caddie that made it past age 50 and deserves a shout. Article linked below is from 2017.

 

https://www.sfgate.com/sports/golf/article/Caddie-Andrew-Martinez-still-dispensing-sage-10910234.php

There’s a caddie who is part time on the KFT who is 80 and still carrying a bag out there. He was full time until last fall

[bscinstnct]

12 hours ago, OnTheBag said:

Very few loopers last beyond their mid 50's.  Terry Holt, Mike Cowan, and Bones are the few that come to mind.  But the wear and tear on the legs is what did me in from a full time gig at 57.  Joe has had an amazing and lucrative career.  Unlike those of us that never got lucky enough to land a superstar, he landed many of them and his bank account shows it. 

 

Bones had a great run with Phil and then took 5 years off.  So he has fresh legs so to speak.  Terry is working a 26 stop schedule that's only 54 holes a week.   

 

Fluff is an anomaly and is still on the bag for two reasons.  1) He loves the sport and 2) His youngest daughter is still in college.  Once she graduates, he's vowed to hang it up.  

 

Don't read too much into all this.  I'm sure Joe is on a healthy retainer from TW, but it's more about the convenience of the schedule at his age while still getting to enjoy the game.  

 

If you've ever wondered what it's like to caddy professionally....Load up your bag to 45 lbs, then go out for a 1 pm tee time mid summer.  Now do it for 6 rounds a week every week all summer.  The hips, knees, and back take a beating.  

 

Thanks OTB! Great stuff

 

But you’re not getting off so easy ; )

 

We demand dirt! 🤣

 

Or at least hilarity. So, without revealing any identifying details, please share a good story from “in between the ropes” or after hours is good too!

[braincramp52]

1 hour ago, Shilgy said:

Neither one of them are estimated to be worth a billion.  Tiger they have pegged at $800m and Phil $300m. Based on recent stories I would guess Tiger may be a bit more and Phil quite a bit less.

 

Again, according to estimates  Tiger has made $1.7b and Phil around $800m. When you spend and gamble the way Phil allegedly does it’s hard to be worth more than you have made.

I saw phil's career earnings estimated at 1.04 billion in some financial publication but I can't tell you where I saw it. 

[Shilgy]

58 minutes ago, braincramp52 said:

I saw phil's career earnings estimated at 1.04 billion in some financial publication but I can't tell you where I saw it. 

At that level yeah, Forbes could be off $200m….but either way with his lifestyle and living in taxation California there is no way he’s worth a B. Unless that insider trading guy helped him way more than is known!

Edited May 21, 2022 by Shilgy
Wrote mil meant billion.

[OnTheBag]

4 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

 

Thanks OTB! Great stuff

 

But you’re not getting off so easy ; )

 

We demand dirt! 🤣

 

Or at least hilarity. So, without revealing any identifying details, please share a good story from “in between the ropes” or after hours is good too!

There are tons of stories rattling around in my head.  Most can only be told now due to the statute of limitations.  Hahaha. The best ones happened outside the ropes, with a few inside.  

 

Most of my really funny ones involve a fellow that I carried for in the late 80's.  He was a complete alcoholic.  One time we were playing in the mid Atlantic and he shot an embarrassing 82 on Thursday.  Not that 82 itself is embarrassing, but this was an easy course and most of the field was -4 to -8.  So we were out early on Friday and he's a no show at the range.  Go to his hotel room and find him passed out in yesterday's clothes.  Got him to the check-in shed with less than 5 minutes to spare before the cutoff.  We get to the box and he can barely hold his eyes open.  Dumbass goes out and shoots 63 to miss the cut by 1.

 

Outside the ropes....during the ATC strike and threat of strike in '81, flights were a mess.  Rather than risk the bags getting lost, a bunch of us jumped into a rental van with the clubs for a 16 hour drive to the next event.  Best road trip ever.  We discovered on the ride that someone got carsick.  Badly.  That person is now a member of the WGHOF, but will forever be called "Pukey" by those of us in that van.

 

It was the best 30+ years of my life.  The constant travel were a burden and the money wasn't great, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. 

[MountainKing]

Caddying for Tiger is probably the best gig in the game.  He obviously can live off of what he's getting since you don't see him out there grinding for work, and he's only working a handful of weeks a year at this point. 

[bobfoster]

8 hours ago, bscinstnct said:

If you've ever wondered what it's like to caddy professionally....Load up your bag to 45 lbs, then go out for a 1 pm tee time mid summer.  Now do it for 6 rounds a week every week all summer.  The hips, knees, and back take a beating.  

This. I nearly always walk and carry, but you poor cadies aren't carrying a Sunday bag, or even a carry bag - they are basically huge, packed cart bags. Frankly don't know how you guys do that. Especially on some courses. Have been a patron at Augusta more than once, and I was tired after walking that track - carrying nothing but a water bottle.

[TheMoneyShot]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:54 PM, Marco said:

I remember reading that Stevie was paid like 50k per year base salary lol, wonder if Joe is paid more than that

At one point, Stevie was making more than many of the pros on tour. 

[stinger_gc]

Joey's salary is probably mid-6 figures plus 10% of winnings

[Naptime]

At this point in his career who else would Tiger want on the bag?  He and Joey are comfortable together.  That's easily worth some $$.

[ChipStrokes]

tiger paid joey for a whole year just to sit home and not work

 

tiger told joey to take another bag, but joey wanted to remain loyal and wait for tiger to get back out there. 

 

so tiger paid him during the downtime. 

 

to think he’s not being paid well now that he’s actually working is silly. 

[hogans71]

On 5/20/2022 at 6:07 PM, aenemated said:

Dude’s 67 years old. He’s probably doing it for the fun of it at this point.

67? I never would have guessed that.. 

[me05501]

I bet he’s on a generous retainer with Tiger having first right of refusal on his time. If he wants to go do something else he probably has to ask to be sure Tiger won’t need him. 
 

I know that’s the sort of deal a lot of very wealthy celebrities provide for their key people. Paul McCartney has that for the guys in his band. I’d bet the Stones do the same for the guys who are touring members only. 

[ChipStrokes]

30 minutes ago, me05501 said:

I bet he’s on a generous retainer with Tiger having first right of refusal on his time. If he wants to go do something else he probably has to ask to be sure Tiger won’t need him.

could be, but i read that back in ‘17 tiger suggested joey take another bag because he didn’t know if he was gonna play again. 

 

joey basically said no, you’re my guy, and tiger paid him to not work 

[OnTheBag]

2 hours ago, bobfoster said:

This. I nearly always walk and carry, but you poor cadies aren't carrying a Sunday bag, or even a carry bag - they are basically huge, packed cart bags. Frankly don't know how you guys do that. Especially on some courses. Have been a patron at Augusta more than once, and I was tired after walking that track - carrying nothing but a water bottle.

Great comparison.  I was in my late 20's the first time I caddied ANGC and it kicked my butt.  My last round there I was 52 and it almost killed me.  ANGC is second only to Greenbrier in my book as the toughest courses to carry for 2 practice rounds and all 4 days of the event.  In fact, it was at Greenbrier that my hip finally gave out and forced me into retirement.  The pain had been there for a few months, but the back nine on Sunday the pain went from an annoyance to "holy crap something's bad wrong."

[bobfoster]

18 minutes ago, OnTheBag said:

Great comparison.  I was in my late 20's the first time I caddied ANGC and it kicked my butt.  My last round there I was 52 and it almost killed me.  ANGC is second only to Greenbrier in my book as the toughest courses to carry for 2 practice rounds and all 4 days of the event.  In fact, it was at Greenbrier that my hip finally gave out and forced me into retirement.  The pain had been there for a few months, but the back nine on Sunday the pain went from an annoyance to "holy crap something's bad wrong."

Dude, I really can't even conceive of a 52 year old doing the ANGC with a 40 pound bag. Everyone watches that tourney, and it looks positively beautiful on TV. But a lot of the nuances are lost. I swear there isn't a single flat place anywhere on that freaking course other than the tee boxes (even on the weird greens). You are perpetually walking uphill or downhill (and downhill is actually harder on the knees and back than uphill). And it isn't just a little uphill and downhill, it is real slopes.

 

And yeah, get Greenbriar. Played it once (friend invited me). Took me about a week for my body to recover from that nightmare. Had a delicious beverage, a Percocet (don't ask), and (literally) slept for, like 12 hours. It is at the same time both really interesting, and totally evil. Completely get why that track made you want to retire. 

[sg91]

2 hours ago, Naptime said:

At this point in his career who else would Tiger want on the bag?  He and Joey are comfortable together.  That's easily worth some $$.

Maybe his offsider Rob but yeah, at this point in his career he's not changing unless Joey decides to hang up the bib for good.

[grm24]

14 hours ago, Creedo77 said:

There’s a caddie who is part time on the KFT who is 80 and still carrying a bag out there. He was full time until last fall

At that age is crazy. Wow. He must be in amazing shape. 

[aenemated]

6 hours ago, hogans71 said:

67? I never would have guessed that.. 

 

Crazy right? 

 

I’m totally going on internet information but it makes sense. He carried for Freddie when he won the Masters 30 years ago and he wasn’t a kid then. 

[ChristopherMcDonald]

On 5/22/2022 at 12:29 AM, aenemated said:

 

Crazy right? 

 

I’m totally going on internet information but it makes sense. He carried for Freddie when he won the Masters 30 years ago and he wasn’t a kid then. 

Hope I look that good at 67... Feel like trash at 33 lmao

 

[Ferguson]

41 minutes ago, ChristopherMcDonald said:

Hope I look that good at 67... Feel like trash at 33 lmao

 

 

Add vegetables and stop eating from vending machines.  We talked about this after your last medical exam.

 

 

 

[ChristopherMcDonald]

40 minutes ago, Ferguson said:

 

Add vegetables and stop eating from vending machines.  We talked about this after your last medical exam.

 

 

 

Only gotten worse doc

[chigolfer1]

On 5/20/2022 at 5:30 PM, NJBigFish22 said:

I think Joe is overly loyal to him.  Probably getting a good salary, but if I was Joe, after this season, I would look for another bag.  Unless he is at a point in his life he doesn’t want to be out there 25+ weeks a year.

 

even if he's making the same (or more) than he would be being out there 25 weeks a year?  It's not like he's going to lose his "edge" as a caddie or something if he's not out there

[chigolfer1]

Living on the road can't be great for you but, think about it, a caddie is walking miles and miles every day with a 40 pound bag over their shoulder.  They are far, far from sedentary.  

[MK7Golf21]

On 5/21/2022 at 9:15 PM, ChipStrokes said:

could be, but i read that back in ‘17 tiger suggested joey take another bag because he didn’t know if he was gonna play again. 

 

joey basically said no, you’re my guy, and tiger paid him to not work 

 

Steve Williams did that in 2011 when Tiger was dealing with left leg issues and couldn't play. Asked Tiger if he could caddy for Adam Scott in US Open and he agreed. Next thing you know he ain't caddying for Tiger anymore. 

 

Probably different scenario with Joe LaCava and Tiger is a bit of a different person nowadays but it would definitely be in the back of LaCava's mind though.

Edited May 23, 2022 by MK7Golf21

[Pepperturbo]

My guess, Tiger gives Joe a nice salary to offset the number of events they play and standby convenience.  I would guess like the pilot of his plane and captain of his boat, salaried for at-service convince.  At 600M worth, those salaries are no big deal.  A friend has a Jet setting at the nearby airport, 24/7 pilot and steward on standby, both salaried. 

[iGolf67]

On 5/20/2022 at 7:52 PM, Ghost of Snead said:

 

So Joe is more like 59-60 ... must be in fantastic physical condition to lug TW's bag up and down the hills of Augusta and in the heat/humidity of Tulsa.

What about Fluff Cowan? I believe he is 74 years old.