Suh Jeong-woo has become the nation's first caddy to earn W100 million in one year as he helped the 19-year-old rookie Kim Hyo-joo win over W1 billion in prize money in a single season for the first time in the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association.
Caddies are generally paid on a weekly basis during tournaments, and if their player wins the title or makes the top 10, they receive 5-10 percent of the prize money as an incentive.
Suh, 29, said he couldn't imagine that he would earn that much money as a caddy. He is glad but he can't believe it's actually happening, he added.
Suh Jeong-woo Kim earned a total of W1.14 billion in prize money this season with five wins including three major titles on the KLPGA. Whenever she claimed a title, Kim took a photo with Suh as they held up the trophy together in recognition of his contribution.
Communicating frankly with the player is the key, Suh said. When he makes a mistake, he does not hesitate to apologize to the player. If the player makes a mistake, he encourages them to forget about it as soon as possible.
Suh was a weightlifter in high school before he took up golf. He then found it more rewarding to advise other players, putting down his own golf clubs to become a caddy.
"I want to continue this gratifying job as I share the joy and challenges of the player," he said.
