Bingley golf caddy Billy Foster could hardly believe his luck at the World Match Play Championships at Wentworth at the weekend when Thomas Bjorn holed in one and promptly handed over his prize to him - a £37,000 Toyota Land Cruiser.
"He just turned to me and said 'have it Billy, it's yours'," said Foster.
"To be fair I had been pestering him about the same model car for a couple of weeks. Toyota sponsored the competition and I was trying to do deal on one of their courtesy cars which they were selling off.
"But I'll believe it when the car rolls on to my drive. It was a very generous gesture by Thomas."
Foster revealed he advised the Dane of the yardage and which club to take at the short 14th hole. "I said it was a four iron and he holed it ," said Foster. "Then he handed over the car!"
Bjorn pocketed a cheque of £400,000 after being beaten four and three by Ernie Els, who banked a cool million.
For Foster - a professional caddy for 21 years - the jetset life-style goes on. "It's getting hard now - it's a long season. I have a couple of young children and next week I'm off to Spain to caddy for Thomas in the Volvo Masters. Then it's on to America for the World Cup followed by the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan. I'll be away for a month."
But travelling the world is nothing new to Foster. He caddied for Darren Clarke before a parting of the ways. After a short break, the new partnership of Bjorn-Foster is doing nicely. So much so that in golfing circles, Foster is being lauded as the best caddy in the world. "I don't know about that," he said modestly. "But it's nice to hear."
After the Els-Bjorn final on Sunday, Seve Ballesteros said Els, who had just captured a record-equalling fifth World Match Play title, had more talent than Tiger Woods.
Having seen both close up, Foster does not agree. "Both are magnificent golfers but I would say Tiger is one step ahead at the minute."
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