Billy Foster’s memorable year continued in Shanghai when he was voted the overwhelming winner of the HSBC Caddie of the Year Award.
Foster – who is the current bagman for Lee Westwood but who has, in the past, caddied for Seve Ballesteros, Darren Clarke and even Tiger Woods for a spell when Steve Williams was absent – was presented with the glass trophy during the WGC – HSBC Champions tournament at the Sheshan International Golf Club by Giles Morgan, Group Head of Sponsorship for HSBC.
Westwood himself was there to see his ‘man’ pick up the award and indeed joined Sky Sports commentator Richard Boxall in hosting part of the fun evening in the Meridien Sheshan hotel adjacent to the golf course.
As well as caddying for the man currently leading The Race to Dubai, Foster also made the news himself in July when he raised over £67,000 for The Darren Clarke Foundation and the Candlelighters Children’s Cancer Trust in his native Leeds by undertaking a marathon charity walk from Loch Lomond to Turnberry with Westwood’s golf bag on his back all the way.
“It’s great to receive this award,” he said. “It shows a bit of respect for me from all the lads which is nice. I got a lot of nice feedback from the charity walk and Lee has also been playing great this year which means you are always there in the public eye. A caddie is only as good as his player, remember.”
To his credit, Westwood returned the compliment. “We get on really well,” he said. “He's caddied for a lot of good players, so he's got a lot of experience. He's been in the heat of the battle a lot and even though he's not caddied for me, before this partnership started, he's watched my game a lot over the years having caddied for Darren, so it was almost like going to a caddie that already knew my game. That's been an easy transition.”
