Legendary golf caddie compares LIV Golf to PGA Tour: "You're not treated like a rat..."

Billy Foster has revealed he felt "treated like a rat" at times when he was caddying on the PGA Tour.

Foster, who has caddied for numerous greats of the game such as Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Lee Westwood and Matt Fitzpatrick down the years, made his latest claims about life on the PGA Tour during an interview with golf YouTube sensation Rick Shiels. 

Foster, who first started out as a caddie in 1983, brought up the topic with Shiels when comparing life as a bagman on the PGA Tour in comparison to the LIV Golf League.

The legendary golf caddie returned to the bag of Westwood on LIV Golf during the summer for a brief period - and he loved every second of the experience. 

Foster considers all the caddies who have transitioned with their players away from the PGA Tour to the breakaway Saudi-bankrolled golf league are now enjoying their lives so much more, largely as a result of the way they are treated. 

"The LIV Tour has obviously been designed by the Caddies Association because everything is paid for, it's three rounds, there's music everywhere, it's more relaxed," Foster told Shiels before last week's shock news that LIV Golf was reverting to 72 holes in 2026. 

"Last place is $100,000, but you miss the cut over there [PGA Tour] and it's like, the LIV Tour is so much more appealing for a caddie. You've got to be honest about it.

"The caddies love it [on LIV Golf]. Why wouldn't you? You think, right, I'm going to Los Angeles next week say, Riviera, right so you pay for your flight, pay for your hotel, pay for your hire car, pay for your food, pay for your beer, pay for a yardage book..." 

Shiels quickly chimed in with: "You pay for a yardage book?" to which Foster replied: "Yeah, $100 in America, $120 sometimes yeah. Certain tournaments like Signature Events, I think they give them away for nothing, but most normal PGA Tour events it's $100. Then a greens book is $150, so you're looking at $250 then. 

Foster, who is now enjoying some downtime from the game having parted ways with former US Open champion Fitzpatrick earlier this season, then made his shock "rat" claim. 

"As a caddie, if your player misses the cut, top 65 qualify and ties, if you're outside that 156 players, zero... you lose money because you pay your own expenses," he continued. 

"You get a weekly salary for that tournament, but that doesn't really cover your expenses. You've worked all week, miss the cut so you get nought. 

"Then flip it to the LIV Tour, where your flights are paid for, your hotels are paid for, you eat with the players because you're not treated like a rat tied outside the clubhouse, which I've most of my career you weren't allowed in the clubhouse outside the locker room, and then it's three rounds, and everything's paid for, last place money, or 50th place is $100,000 and there's 54 players so yeah from a caddie's point of view you can see where I'm coming from." 

Watch the full episode of the Rick Shiels Golf Show featuring Foster below: