If you’ve watched a single PGA Tour broadcast lately, you’ve seen Ted Scott. He’s the guy usually holding the pin or whispering something calm into Scottie Scheffler’s ear before a $4 million putt. But while we all know Scottie is vacuuming up prize money at a historic rate, a lot of people are starting to wonder about the guy carrying the bag. Honestly, the numbers are kind of staggering. When we talk about how much does Scottie Scheffler’s caddie make, we aren’t just talking about a nice "living." We are talking about earnings that would make most professional athletes in other sports blush.
Ted Scott is currently the most successful "looper" in the world. He didn't just stumble into this. He spent years on the bag for Bubba Watson before "retiring" for about five minutes, only to be lured back by Scheffler. It was probably the best financial decision of his life.
The Standard "Math" of a PGA Caddie
Most folks think caddies just get a flat fee. That's not how it works at this level. Usually, a PGA Tour caddie gets a weekly base salary to cover their travel, hotels, and food. This is typically between $2,000 and $4,000 per week. That sounds okay, but the real money—the "generational wealth" money—comes from the performance bonuses.
The industry standard is pretty simple:
- 10% of the prize money for a win.
- 7% for a top-10 finish.
- 5% for making the cut.
When your boss is Scottie Scheffler, you are hitting that 10% bracket a lot. In 2024 alone, Scottie won seven times on the PGA Tour, including the Masters and the Players Championship. He also grabbed that massive $25 million FedEx Cup bonus. If you do the math on a $25 million check, Ted Scott likely walked away with $2.5 million from a single Sunday afternoon in Atlanta.
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How Much Does Scottie Scheffler’s Caddie Make in a Single Year?
Let’s look at the hard data from the 2024 season because it was record-shattering. Scottie earned roughly $62.3 million in total on-course earnings that year. Using the standard percentages, it’s estimated that Ted Scott took home about **$5.2 million**.
To put that into perspective, that $5.2 million figure would have ranked Ted Scott around 20th on the actual PGA Tour money list. He made more money than most of the professional golfers whose bags he was walking past. He out-earned guys like Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler in 2024 without hitting a single competitive shot.
Breaking Down the 2025 Numbers
The momentum didn't stop. In 2025, Scheffler continued his dominance with five more wins, including the PGA Championship and The Open. For his victory at Royal Portrush, the winner’s check was $3.1 million. That means Ted Scott pocketed $310,000 for one week of work. By the end of the 2025 season, Scottie had raked in nearly $50 million. Experts estimate Ted Scott’s 2025 take-home at approximately **$2.11 million to $2.5 million** in bonuses alone.
It's Not All Profit: The Hidden Costs
We see the big checks, but we don't see the American Express bill. Caddies are independent contractors. They aren't "employees" of the PGA Tour or the players in the traditional sense.
Ted Scott has to pay for his own flights. He has to book his own hotels. He pays for his own meals and rental cars. On a typical year, a top-tier caddie might spend $50,000 or more just on travel expenses. Then there’s taxes. Since these guys are self-employed, they are getting hit with the highest tax brackets and self-employment taxes. Even after all that, though, Ted Scott is doing just fine.
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Why Ted Scott is Worth Every Penny
You might think, "He's just carrying a bag, right?" Wrong. If it were that easy, everyone would do it. Ted Scott is a psychologist, a mathematician, and a human shield.
- Club Selection: When the wind is gusting 20 mph at Augusta, the difference between a 9-iron and an 8-iron is $1 million.
- Green Reading: Scheffler has struggled with putting in the past. Scott’s ability to "see" the lines has been credited by many as the reason Scottie went from a great player to a dominant one.
- Temperament: Scottie is a fiery guy. Ted Scott knows exactly when to tell a joke and when to shut up.
There was actually a moment in 2025 where Ted Scott had to miss a tournament (the BMW Championship) to attend his daughter's graduation. Scottie used a "stand-in" caddie, a friend named Sam Cromie. They won. That stand-in caddie reportedly walked away with a $360,000 bonus for four days of work. That tells you everything you need to know about the "Scheffler Effect" on a caddie's bank account.
The Verdict on Caddie Wealth
While the average caddie on the Korn Ferry Tour might be sleeping in their car and eating PB&J to get by, the elite loopers are living in a different reality. Ted Scott has become the poster child for this new era of golf wealth.
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If you are looking for a career change, carrying a bag for the World No. 1 is a pretty good gig. Just remember: you have to be one of the best in the world at reading grass and wind to even get an interview.
Next Steps for Golf Fans:
If you want to track these earnings yourself, keep an eye on the "Official Money List" on the PGA Tour website. Whenever you see Scottie Scheffler’s name, just move the decimal point one spot to the left—that’s roughly what Ted Scott just deposited into his bank account. You can also follow the Association of Professional Tour Caddies (APTC) for more insight into how these contracts are structured for players who aren't at the very top of the rankings.