001: Billy Foster
The legendary caddie and popular Yorkshireman takes us back to when he watched the stars playing at his home club of Bingley St Ives as a 10-year-old
BILLY FOSTER is one of the most experienced caddies in golf. The Yorkshireman looped for legendary Spaniard Seve Ballesteros for several years, achieving great success.
Foster has also carried for Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods, and has grown in popularity and profile not only for his success, but for his innate story-telling ability and humour.
Despite caddying for many top players for four decades, Foster waited until 2022 to win his first major championship with Matt Fitzpatrick at the US Open at Brookline.
Foster was speaking at the Leeds American Golf for the #RifeDontMiss putting challenge
When did you start playing golf?
“When I was a kid, I started playing golf at 10 years old. I went fishing three times a week, and golf I might have played once a week. The European Tour event came to Bingley, and I started caddying for a junior, I went away and ended up caddying full time, so I never really played that much golf.
“I got down to three handicap, got offered a job as an assistant pro at Ilkley in 1990. I’d been caddying 8 years, then Seve Ballesteros asked me just before I started the job, so I never really had lessons, but my first lesson was probably with Pete Cowen. So, if you’re going to have a lesson, you might as well start at the top.
“I know Pete very well from caddying for Clarkey for 10 years and with Westwood for the best part of 10 years, so he was their coach.”
“It’s vital to have lessons from a proper professional who knows how to teach. It speaks volumes.”
Do you remember what he told you?
“I’ve always been the same. I’ve always get the club too far on the inside and behind me, and it’s just a case of getting it straight back and covering the ball better. I attacked it too much from the inside and flip it – it was quite straightforward.
What fundamentals/swing thoughts do you take on the course when you play?
“I do. I was a decent player when I was in my 20s, maybe 30 I was decent, then I’ve played twice a year for the last 25 years. So my game is rusty to say the least. Having a bit more time this year with not working, I’ve started playing again. It’s a very difficult game and I watched the best players in the world for 40 years and it looks easy, but when you started playing yourself, you realise just how difficult it is.
“You get a few swing thoughts. You know your mistakes and you know the feelings you need to work on. And let me tell you, the first couple of games back, the first couple of medals, it’s like ‘Oh my god, have I ever played this game?’
“It’s coming slowly. I couldn’t chip, I had the proper yips with chipping, but slowly the more you play, it’s coming back. I’m back to single figures and hopefully I can progress and get back to a 5 handicap.”
Billy Foster Fact Box
2023 Ryder Cup was the 16th of his career
Caddied for 43 years
Won the 2022 US Open caddying for Matt Fitzpatrick
Caddied for Tiger Woods at the 2005 Presidents Cup
At that level when you’ve seen your players work with likes of Pete, how much would you recommend to golfers to have lessons?
“It’s vital to have lessons from a proper professional who knows how to teach. It speaks volumes. I’ve just spent the last two days with a young lad from Switzerland, 17 years old off plus 2, and it can help him so much with his course management etc. It helps to gather that experience to see different shots and learn. You make so many basic errors if you’re not playing regularly, even if it’s just down to posture or alignment, if someone is there to just check you over every couple of weeks, it’ll make your game better for sure.
Will you get back into lessons now you’ve got more time?
“Yeah, I will. I went to see Pete about a month ago because my chipping was like someone had wrapped an electric eel around me when I tried to chip. My knees had gone, I was yipping it, thinning it, knifing it, duffing. I thought I’ve got to see Pete. I went to see Pete and it was so difficult. I got a fantastic lesson off Pete and even when he was telling me, I still found it difficult, but it’s ingrained in my head what he was telling me and the more I play, my chipping has gone from a 1 out of 10 probably a 5 or 6. Hopefully, the more I play, I might get to a 7 or 8. But it’s vital to get a proper lesson.”
Dallas appeared at the second #RifeDontMiss Challenge, celebrating the launch of the new RIFE Black Edition putters. To register for the final qualifier and be in with a chance of winning £50,000, sign up here.