A caddie is someone who always remains by the side of a golfer, despite the situation. It’s no different for Lydia Ko as well, who recently claimed her third major victory at the St. Andrews’ Old Course after carding 7 under par. Just like the golfer, her caddie, Paul Cormack, is also extremely happy. After winning the title, joyful Cormack shared a story about how narrowly he escaped being an “idiot.” 

He revealed, “I stopped playing myself in 2016, and I was a member at Bay Hill. Maria Hjorth’s husband, Shaun McBride, asked me what I was going to do, and I said I had no idea. He was like, ‘Why don’t you take up caddying as you’d be good at it?” as revealed on the Scotsman website. Initially, he found it awkward to become a caddie but later made up his mind.

In 2023, Lydia Ko asked Cormack if he would start working with her after the 2023 AIG Women’s Open. While talking about it, Cormack further added, “It was a no-brainer, and I started with her the following week in Canada. If you turned that down, you’d be an idiot!” Who would miss the chance to work for Ko, after all, right? This statement possibly alludes to the dominance she has shown on the greens this year, she even claimed gold for her country, New Zealand, at the Paris Olympics.

However, a week after the pair started working together, things got interesting. Ko shot a score of 82 in her third round during the first week of their new partnership. Despite this, Cormack remained confident in her and chose to stay on. Ko also talked about it and said, “If I were in his shoes, I would not have had as much belief in my player because it’s not really a common score for any of us. But he’s stuck it out with me. He has really believed in me.”

Cormack himself was a professional golfer and has a decent amount of knowledge of the game. Could it be that he was well aware of how things can be inconsistent sometimes? Only he knows the answer for now. Now, after some surprising turns of events, the golfer also credits her caddie for the victories.

What does Lydia Ko think of her caddie?

The 2024 season has been remarkable for Lydia Ko, and she believes it was all because of his caddie. The golfer claimed two titles and a gold medal at the Paris Olympics. Giving credit to her caddie, the 27-year-old said he always has “a positive outlook on things” and his “experience of growing up playing golf in Scotland,” helped her in elevating the game this week.

Cormack also reciprocates and appreciates Lydia Ko’s performance. In the final round of the AIG Women’s Open, Ko hit driver-driver to set up a birdie at the par-5 14th. She then safely found the green on the challenging 17th hole using a fairway wood, even as rain began to pour down during her shot. Taking that into account, Cormack added, “She does it all the time—that’s like a standard for her. That was unbelievable, but that’s what she is capable of.”

Lydia Ko’s caddie enjoys the taste of victory with her but also remains by her side when things are tough for the golfer on the greens. What do you think of their partnership? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!