PGA Tour dispute with caddies is over… finally!

A long-standing feud between PGA Tour caddies and the tour itself is finally over… in a legal sense, at last.

A lawsuit, originally filed in California in the early part of 2015, contended that caddies should be better recompensed for wearing logos on their bibs during tournaments.

The caddies also wanted improvements to their healthcare and retirement options.

The class-action lawsuit and subsequent appeal were both dismissed by the US District Court earlier this year but they at least had the desired effect of making the PGA Tour take a closer look at the provisions it has in place for its loopers.

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That resulted in the Association of Professional Tour Caddies (APTC) – a group not involved in the lawsuit but which represents caddies on the world’s most lucrative circuit – working with the tour to broker a deal that will see an increase in the stipend the tour gives caddies for healthcare.

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Scott Sajtinac, the president of the APTC, described the deal as “a good result”, whilst the PGA Tour said in a statement that it “looks forward to continuing to support the caddies in the important role they play in the success of our members”.

The new arrangements will come into effect from the start of 2019.