KAPALUA, Hawaii — Billy Foster enjoyed the use of a cart during his nine-hole stint as Matt Fitzpatrick’s caddie on Wednesday in the pro-am ahead of The Sentry at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course, arguably the hardest walk on the PGA Tour all season. Foster knows all the tricks to give his aging legs a rest. After all, he is beginning his 43rdyear caddying in professional golf.
But this year will be different. On Tuesday, he announced on his Instagram account that he is scaling back this season and will split duties as Fitzpatrick’s caddie with another veteran caddie in Daniel Parratt.
“It’s time,” Foster, 61, told Golfweek. “I’ve missed out on a lot in life.”
Foster is a legend in the caddie ranks, having worked for the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Thomas Bjorn, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood previously. He said the decision to scale back was his own and one he’s been edging towards for several years. After caddying players to victory 45 times, he finally experienced the thrill of being on the bag for a major winner with Fitzpatrick at the 2022 U.S. Open after many close calls.
“When I started with Matt six years ago, I told him I’d like to do 20 (tournaments), that 27 is too much,” Foster said. From day one, I wanted someone to work a few. I’d still like to do 18 but it’s not fair to have someone do just seven. So I compromised that I’ll do 13 for Matt and maybe pick up a few in Europe, too.”
Foster said he’ll work three of the four majors, with Parratt, who has previously caddied for the likes of Ben An, K.H. Lee and Tom Kim, handling the PGA Championship. Parratt also will be on the bag for the West Coast Swing and the FedEx Cup playoffs, among others.
“I’m off until Bay Hill (the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March),” Foster said. “I’ve got a little place in Austria and I’ll do dome skiing.”
A master storyteller, he noted on social media that he hopes to do some speaking engagements, possibly a book and perhaps some TV commentary as well as help “aspiring young golfers with course management.
“Who knows might be back full time at some point but now seems the right time to give the body a break and catch up on things I moss out on…might event start playing golf again.”
As Foster mapped out his likely schedule, he failed to mention the Ryder Cup, but rest assured that if Fitzpatrick plays his way on to European captain Luke Donald’s team later this year, Foster will be at Bethpage. It would mark his 17th Ryder Cup as a caddie, a figure that no other player or caddie can sniff. [He even caddied at a Presidents Cup in 2005 for Tiger Woods, subbing for Steve Williams, whose fiancée at the time was expecting their first child.]
“The Ryder Cup has been a big part of my life,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Legendary caddie Billy Foster announces reduced schedule for 2025
