Billy Foster, Matt Fitzpatrick’s recently dismissed caddie, has spoken out about their split – as it’s revealed how much money he missed out on at the PGA Championship
Billy Foster missed one hack of a pay day after parting ways with Matt Fitzpatrick(Image: Getty Images)
Billy Foster, the former caddie of PGA Tour star Matt Fitzpatrick, missed out on a significant payday at the 2025 PGA Championship after being let go earlier this year.
In a twist that underscores the high stakes and emotional rollercoaster of professional golf, Foster was replaced in March following a tough start to Fitzpatrick’s season, a decision that left him feeling discarded and, in his own words, “thrown to the gutter.”
The move proved costly for Foster, as Fitzpatrick’s T8 finish at Quail Hollow Club earned him $415,262, a sum that would have netted his caddie an estimated $41,526 based on the standard 10 per cent share.
Foster, who had been by Fitzpatrick’s side for nearly six years, played a pivotal role in the Englishman’s 2022 U.S. Open triumph, a career-defining major victory. Their partnership also yielded two PGA Tour wins and four DP World Tour titles, including the prestigious 2020 DP World Tour Championship.
However, after a rocky start to the 2025 season, with Fitzpatrick struggling to find his form and slipping to 85th in the official World Golf Rankings, the 30-year-old made the tough call to part ways with Foster. “It’s like football management,” Foster admitted to The Times. “If things aren’t going well, you think you need to shake things up.”
The veteran caddie, who has worked with golf icons like Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood, could barely hide his frustration, adding, “I’ve done this since I was 16… To get up with no purpose is no good for me.”
Matt Fitzpatrick parted ways with Billy Foster after a tough start to 2025(Image: Getty Images)
At the PGA Championship, Fitzpatrick, now paired with temporary caddie Daniel Parratt, showed signs of resurgence, finishing T8 and securing a healthy pay check from the $19 million purse. The winner, Scottie Scheffler, claimed $3.42M, with his caddie, Ted Scott, presumably pocketing around $342,000 as a result.
Foster, now 61, insists he wants to get back in the game, though acknowledges he only has “a couple of years” left. “It’s been my life, and I’ve still got a couple of years to give,” he said, emphasizing his desire to return to the tour and “feel the atmosphere of big tournaments again.”
He had planned a reduced schedule for 2025, splitting duties with Parratt. The veteran caddie announced he’d work only 13 tournaments this year, citing the toll of a 43-year career and a desire to reclaim personal time.
Matt Fitzpatrick won the US Open with Billy Foster in 2022.(Image: Getty Images)
However, his abrupt exit from Fitzpatrick’s team stung, leaving him eager to find a new player, and new motivation, before he calls it a day.
Foster’s story highlights the oft-overlooked precarious nature of a caddie’s career, where loyalty and success can be overshadowed by the need for results. For now, Foster is determined to return to the fairways on his terms, but the agony of missing a five-figure payday won’t be easy to get over.