The Story Of Billy Foster and Seveâ€™s Screaming Match At Augusta

April 03, 2013

In a great piece for Sky Sports, caddie Billy Foster recounts his experiences at Augusta including the mega row with Seve Ballesteros that ended their working relationship.

The one that really stands out was at the 17th hole. â€¦â€¦

Anyway, he was between a six and a seven iron, I talk him into a six-iron and he hits a nice shot. We get down there and he's two or three feet over the back of the green but where the pin is, at the back left, it's actually the perfect place to be as you've got a nice little chip straight up the green. You know, we're talking Seve Ballesteros here, he's going to be p****d off if he doesn't chip it in. Anyway, he gets it semi-clean and chips it eight foot past and it's one of those, you're down on your knees at the back of the green just praying that he holes it because you know what's coming if he doesn't. Sure enough, he misses it and before we've got off the green he's chewed my left ear out, my right ear out and ripped me head off. He's just giving it to me 10-0. We're walking off the green, I've had it three times already and before we get to the crowd before you walk through the gallery to the 18th green he's stopped, turned round and he's started having another go at me. "How many times I tell you it's the wrong club, you son-a-ma-bitch" and all this, you know. I can feel myself bubbling up and I'm ready to lose it. So we get to the 18th tee and I just remember thinking if he has another go here I'm just going to lose it. So we're stood on the 18th tee, Ray Floyd tees off and before Seve pegs it up he's had another go at me. "Billy. It's the wrong club. You cost me" and all this. Well, this rush, this tidal wave came up through me and I promise you I screamed at the top of my voice "I (expletive) heard you. Alright?". They must have heard me at the green, never mind at the tee. I looked up and Ray Floyd and Steve Williams are just open-mouthed and they could not believe the way I'd spoke to him. Anyway, Seve just looked straight through me, hit his tee-shot and just stormed off. He didn't even wait for me afterwards, stormed off up to the clubhouse and then went on to the driving range and starts hitting a few wedges. Then he says to me go out and find out how far these wedges are pitching. So, I've walked down the range, 120 yards and these balls are pitching and as they bounce up I'm heading them! About 15 in a row and I'm heading them and I can hear the crowd laughing in the background. But I wasn't laughing, I'd absolutely gone. He'd driven me to the limit. Anyway, he waved me in and he took me to the side of the clubhouse and we had a little chat shall we say. I unleashed a barrage of abuse at him and told him what I thought and that was the last tournament I caddied for Seve. I got a call on the Tuesday morning saying I was no longer required. I was told you can't speak to a superstar, champion like that so that was it. NO REGRETS.