10:20am March 20, 2025 – Media – This story was updated on Friday, 21 March 2025
The story of the All Black Augusta National Caddy Corps, the most famous caddy group in the history of the game, is told in a newly updated book called the legendary Augusta National Caddy, located inside the story from the biggest stages of golf.
First published in 2004, The Title Men on the Bag: The Caddies of Augusta National, this newly updated book was released last year by Ward Clayton, former sports editor of the original author, Augusta Chronicle, but has been re-released ahead of this year’s Masters, which takes place between April 10th and 13th.
The book contains extensive updates on all Caddies and Augusta National. It features chapters from the Sand Hills District and Today’s Caddy Corps, a list of all Caddy Champions over the years, and 20 black and white historical and contemporary photographs.
The book focuses on the first Masters Tournament in 1934, from 1982. Before the 1983 Master, all golfers had to use Augusta National Caddy. Since 1983, most golfers have used regular tour caddies, and in that year 22 of the 82 players used Augusta National caddies. The numbers continued to decline after that.
With nicknames such as stove pipes, burnt biscuits, frying pans, skinny and marble eyes, the Black Augusta National Caddy Corps worked for the US President, industrial captain and the world’s largest golfer. Some of their real names were Carl Jackson, Willie Petite and Matthew Palmer. It started in the 1930s, from Gene Sarazen’s “Shoots Hear the World” to Jack Nicklaus, who scored five of the six masters.
The cover of the new book features Augusta Caddy Jarria Beard, who helped Fuzzy Soller become the third golfer to win the Masters in his first attempt in 1979.
Willie Stokes, who is five years old and shares the caddy record in most of her Masters victories, passed away in 2006. He was in his bag for Ben Crenshaw’s victory in 1984 and 1995, and was with him for 39 years. Others who carried the bag of victory that was still alive were Marion Herrington (Seve Ballesteros, 1980) and Ben Bussey (Craig Stadler, 1982).
“The Legendary Caddy of Augusta National – Inner Story from the Greatest Stage of Golf”
Available on Amazon and priced at $19.95 (£13.57)
