How much did Wyndham Clark's caddie make at the US Open 2023?
The last two months for Wyndham Clark have been nothing but a sort of fairytale story. He registered his first PGA tour victory after winning the Wells Fargo Championship and then recently won his first major tournament, US Open 2023.
Winning the US Open earned him fame, popularity, respect, and most important; a hefty fortune. In fact, not just Clark, but his caddie, John Ellis, also made a fortune carrying the winner's bag.
As per reports, a caddie earns around $1,500 to $3,000 per tournament. But if the golfer wins or finishes in the top 10, the caddie also gets a 10 percent and 7 percent share of the earnings, respectively.
Therefore, Wyndham Clark's caddie, John Ellies, could get approximately $360,000, which is 10 percent of Clark's whopping $3.6 million paycheck.
Who is John Ellis, 2023 US Open winner Wyndham Clark's caddie?
Born on October 8, 1979, in San Jose, California, John Ellis is himself a former professional golfer. Before turning professional in 2003, he played his collegiate-level golf with the University of Oregon.
He has a total of nine professional wins in his career. His first professional victory came in 2004 when he won the Northern California Open. His last victory came in 2011 at the Hawaii Pearl Open.
Ellis was part of the Canadian Tour. He won three tournaments on the golf circuit. Interestingly, all three wins came in the same year i.e., 2008 which earned him the accolade of Canadian Tour Order of Merit in the same year.
John Ellis joined the University of Oregon as an assistant golf coach before turning caddie for Wyndham Clark. The duo has been associated for the past seven years now.
"I owe a lot of that to my support system"- Wyndham Clark credits friends and family for his incredible win at the US Open 2023
Before the US Open 2023, nobody would have thought that 29-year-old Wyndham Clark, who just won a tournament almost a month ago, will claim his first major title. However, the Denver native inspired the world with his one-shot victory over Rory McIlroy last Sunday.
After the tournament, he attended a show on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio and shared how he pushed himself to win at the LACC. He also credited his caddie, John Ellis, his family, and friends for their support. He said,
"I owe a lot of that to my support system, and that starts out with John, my caddie. Then having my friends and family and also my girlfriend. She has been out here for a lot of events and she has been a rock for me."
"When I was walking up 18, I was wishing she was there"
U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark spoke with Taylor Zarzour about his biggest fan who was on his mind on his way to his first major championship.
@Wyndham_Clark I @usopengolf https://t.co/vAI5WQZnOI
Clark emphasized that he has grown mentally in the last eight months and has been on the right track as he can see results. He added,
"Seven, eight months ago I was still breaking clubs and losing my head on a golf course. It's amazing to see how much I've changed mentally out on the golf course as a person over six, seven months."
Wyndham Clark will next be seen at the 2023 Travelers Championship from June 22 at the TPC River Highlands.