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Ahead of the Mayakoba Golf Classic, Matt Kuchar had a bit of dilemma.
Because he’d signed up to the tournament late, his regular caddie John Wood already had a prior engagement, meaning the American needed somebody to carry his bag.
After contacting some other caddies he thought might be able to help him out, but to no avail, he contacted the PGA Tour event’s tournament director, who hooked him up with a local caddie called David, or ‘El Tucan’.
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Four rounds later, Kuchar was back in the winner’s circle for the first time in four-and-a-half years and $1.296 million richer.
Given that standard player-caddie arrangements usually give the bag man somewhere between 5% and 10%, it’s fair to say El Tucan had most likely his most lucrative week as a caddie ever, with a fee of somewhere between $64,800 and $129,600.
“He’s definitely been my lucky charm,” said Kuchar of El Tucan, who also helped Mexican pro Armando Favela qualify for the event a few weeks ago.
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“It was great having him with me. I feel like he brought me good luck, some extra crowd support, and he did a great job as well. So it was just what I was looking for and hoping for.”
At the same time, it’s hard luck for regular caddie Wood, who will return to Kuchar’s bag Down Under for the next two weeks at the Australian Open and World Cup of Golf.
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