Luke Donald Calls Out Jay Monahan & Co.’s Treatment of PGA Tour Caddies As He Reveals ‘Substandard’ Reality of Bagmen

The 2023 Ryder Cup victory of Luke Donald’s & co. was one of the most dominating wins Team Europe has ever had. Every member of the carefully curated squad contributed in one way or another to the 16 1/2 points scored by them.

It was a valiant effort by Team Europe to win back the title they had given away two years ago. So when it came to the 2025 Ryder Cup, there was not a shadow of a doubt that Donald would get picked again for his excellent decision-making.

Luke Donald is a team player who believes that everyone in the European squad deserves the same respect and opportunities. This applies to caddies as well, who play a vital role in assisting the pros on the course. Donald recently spoke about their contribution to the team and how they are rewarded for it.

Luke Donald joined D.J. and Tron for an interesting No Laying Up Podcast where the trio discussed the events of the 2023 Ryder Cup. The release of the Una Famiglia documentary prompted this session and the hosts wanted to reflect on the behind-the-scenes footage from the Team Europe dressing room.

The captain of Team Europe was asked about the importance of caddies in their entire setup and if the team always treated its caddies so well. Luke Donald said that he “disagrees” with the fact that the PGA Tour didn’t allow caddies to be allowed in the locker room of the pros. Sharing an example of how they were treated, he said, “They always had substandard food and the way they were kind of held…” The former world no. 1 then stated that “they were a major part of our team” while also mentioning that his feelings might be biased considering his brother caddied for him.

Donald admitted that he also tried to “step up” for better treatment of his brother and other caddies. He then shared how the caddies were permitted to enter the European locker rooms and “had little bit more shared spaces, hang out a little bit more together, off the course dinners and stuff.” Donald mentioned how he used to hang out with his brother’s caddie friends and had a lot of dinners with them from 2000 to 2014.

Luke Donald mentioned how the caddies had great stories and were a bit less “uptight” and he enjoyed hanging out with them. Reiterating how Unga Famiglia means “one family”, Donald said, “I’ve made a very conscious effort trying to include all the families.” He admitted that the caddies were a part of the family as “they are the guys standing next to the players. They have a huge influence on them.”

Donald then went on to share how he and his team celebrated the career of veteran caddie, Billy Foster. He said, “It was nice to do the thing for Billy. That was his 15th Ryder Cup, he had contributed 25 points with all the players. Such an amazing history. To give him one of those replica Ryder Cups. Those mean a lot to me and I’m sure it meant a lot to him.” Luke Donald then shared that he was hoping, “we continue that culture of including the caddies as much as possible.” After a small chatter between the three, Donald advised the host to bring in American caddies who have worked for Team Europe to “see what they say,” as the group started discussing other topics.

It’s great to see such an attitude develop in the Team Europe locker room. Hopefully, the PGA Tour would pick up some of these habits. Having said that, it will be interesting to learn how caddies are treated on the PGA Tour.

Unlike Luke Donald’s team Europe…

Caddies being mistreated in the PGA Tour has been a long-standing concern. Apart from the physical stress involved on the job, they often also face verbal abuse from disgruntled pros. In fact, one such incident came to light during the middle of 2023. A caddie spoke up about the mental health issues they faced working for an abusive pro. While remaining anonymous for obvious reasons, the caddie shared how the verbal abuse led to “seeing a therapist to talk about how to come to terms with it.”

This is deeply concerning considering the caddies are only there to help the pros. Having to go through such abuse can not only influence their abilities to guide the course but also goes against the spirit of the “gentleman’s sport.” In no way does it reflect well on the pro or the game itself.

What do you think about the stark difference between how the caddies are treated in Europe and the USA? Share your views in the comments section.