Legendary caddie claims golfers are ‘bullied’ into stressful schedule

There will be 101 days between the first tee shot going up at the Masters and the final putt dropping in the Open at Royal Portrush in July. 

Golf’s stunted major season has long been a cause of consternation among observants, with many craving prolonged drama all year round.

The PGA Championship’s move from August to May in 2019 has meant the game’s most important tournaments are now played across a 16-week stretch. Blink and you’ll miss them.

And, according to Billy Foster, its not just the fans that are suffering, either.

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Foster, the storied caddie who currently works with Matt Fitzpatrick, believes the crammed schedule is stifling the world’s best players, too.

“I’m not a fan of how condensed majors season is becoming,” Foster told Genting Casino.

“I thought it was better when the PGA Tour finished at the end of October, start of November. It stretched out a bit more when the PGA Championship was in August.

“Now it’s not just the majors and the Players Championship that have been moved. There’s one every month, and then the players go through March, April, and you’ve got the Masters. May you got the PGA. June you got the US Open. July you’ve got the Open Championship.

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“And then a month or so later you’ve got all these signature events, elevated events. From now until August, it’s so hard for the top players to get any weeks off.

“It’s almost like you’re bullied into keeping playing all the time. And it’s hard to take time off and get yourself a bit fitter and more relaxed. It’s high stress golf. A large part of it is the next seven months which I’d rather be stretched out a bit more like it used to be.”

Foster did provide one crucial caveat, though: “But you can’t complain when they’re playing for the money they’re playing for.”

Another prevailing talking point both at the elite and amateur level remains slow play.

Foster has no particular interest in TGL – the tech-infused golf league launched by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods – but does believe the implementation of a shot clock used in the simulator matches could improve the speed of the glacial rounds out on tour.

“Absolutely, a shot clock could be implemented across the wider game,” Foster said. “They played with one at the Australian Open.. I think it was 40 seconds and the clock was there beside the players on the fairway so they knew exactly where they stood.

“I don’t know if it’s just a shot clock that is needed. I just think it’s the officials, the rules and they just need to be a bit stronger.

“You’ve got to cut a little bit slack if you’ve got a difficult shot but if you can’t get round in four and a half hours… most of the time you get these difficult courses and it’s taking these lads five and a quarter hours.

“It drags on a bit too long.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.