Caddie is to a golfer what a co-driver (navigator) is to a rally driver.
Caddies - those companions to golfers who provide both practical support and strategic guidance on the course - are often unsung heroes in a smooth round of golf.
They are primarily responsible for carrying the player’s bag, managing clubs, and assisting with basic course maintenance like repairing divots (pieces of turf and soil removed from the ground when a clubhead digs into the ground) and raking bunkers.
Beyond carrying golf bags, caddies also offer insights to players into course strategy, such as club selection, reading greens, and evaluating weather conditions. Every swing by the golfer and stroke of the ball is informed by “strategic intelligence about the course” from a golfer’s caddie.
It pays for a professional or amateur golfer to have a good and experienced caddie. The rewards include consistent performance for the player and great teamwork.
Most successful professional golfers globally owe their success to their caddies, who are mostly former professional golfers who did not make it to the top league.
Whereas caddies who work for leading professionals in major pro golf tours such as Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America, DP World Tour, and the European Challenge Tour earn a good income from caddying, most caddies in Kenya do not enjoy similar rewards because payment is dependent on individual agreement between the caddie and the player, and varies from player to player and from championship to championship.
Willy Deus (right) with his caddy Peter Karanja during Sunshine Development Tour East Africa Swing on January 19, 2026 at Karen Country Club.
Photo credit: Chris Omollo | Nation Media Group
New Zealander Steve Williams, who served as caddie of Tiger Woods between 1999 and 2011 , was at one time the highest paid sportsman in his country. Together, they won 13 of Woods’ 15 major championships and 64 PGA Tour titles.
Williams is estimated to have earned around US$8.8 million (equivalent to Sh1.134 billion at the time) in on-course earnings during this period, based on a roughly 10 per cent commission of prize money. Williams joined Woods in March 1999, replacing Mike “Fluff” Cowan, who had caddied for Woods since he turned professional. The two, however, parted ways when Cowan demanded more than 10 per cent of Woods’ earnings in each event.
Most of the professionals who travel for the DP Tour events, including the Magical Kenya Open, tag along with their caddies. Those who do not travel with caddies are provided with local caddies.
The caddie fee for the 2026 Magical Kenya Open Golf Championship, which is part of the DP World Tour series, is Sh6,500 per day. A local caddie can make a maximum of Sh26,000 if his player makes the cut and plays all four rounds.
In Kenya, though, pros have not yet reached the level of engaging caddies as permanent employees. Karen Country Club’s resident professional, Edwin Mudanyi, says that kind of engagement will soon come if more pro golf tours are introduced.
Mudanyi, who closed the second round on two under par total yesterday, says the pro and caddie relationship is very important.
“You certainly need a caddie with whom you understand each other. It has to be a good partnership, during practice rounds as well as in the tournament, though at the end, some decisions are purely made by the player since he is the one playing,” Mudanyi says.
Golfers with their caddies during the Magical Kenya Open at Karen Country club on February 19,2026.
Photo credit: Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group
Mudanyi adds: “One needs a caddie with an eye for conditions of play. He should also be capable of studying what is going through the player’s mind, as it is that time when his advice is necessary,’’ Mudanyi, who played at Karen with his caddie Walter Ombima, said.
On the other hand, pro Njoroge Kibugu said he likes the familiarity of his routine and sticks to one caddie.“Having a consistent partner gives me confidence and comfort,’’ Kibugu, whose caddie in most pro events is Bo Ciera, said. Bo Ciera is a former captain of Muthaiga Golf Club and is one of the leading amateurs due to his experience.
