Billy Foster has backed Rory McIlroy to enjoy a bumper year after winning the Players Championship as The Masters approaches in an exclusive interview with Prime Casino.
He also explained how his split from Matt Fitzpatrick came about, and how the personalities in golf have changed over the years.
Looking ahead to Augusta, Foster gave his rundown on the contenders for The Masters and the other big prizes in 2025 and weighed up the chances of Ludwig Aberg and Scottie Scheffler grabbing some glory.
Read the full interview below.
The inside story on Matt Fitzpatrick’s decision to call time on their partnership
I finished with Fitz last week. It was a bit disappointing but he's been playing poorly.
You know when things aren't going well and you're not enjoying it out there sometimes it's just nice to have a break and just get a bit of freshness and have a different eye on the ball. That's the caddying game. It's always been the same. It'll never be any different.
It's a results-driven business and if things aren't going well it's always nice to have a bit of a change and that normally starts with the coach and the caddy or the manager or the psychologist or the wife. That's the way players work and you just have to accept it for what it is.
Obviously it's very disappointing because we've had so many good times together and so many great victories. You know, Matt struggled. It's out there in the results. He hasn’t played well for six to eight months, feels the time to change is right, freshness is everything and that's fine, you just gotta accept the way it is.
Ultimately, it's the player's goal. As a caddie, you can always feel the body language on the golf course and you can feel things are a little bit strained. Listen, it's disappointing but you can feel it when the atmosphere that's just not the same as it was. I accept that and that's fine. You move on.
Listen, I'll always admire Matt as a golfer but more importantly as a person. His family are very grounded, very humble, and I've got a lot to thank Matt for. Like I said, we've had six great years and we've done very well together, and he's a major champion, which I'll always be truly grateful for. That he provided that. Because it was very frustrating when you'd had a great career and never won a major with anybody. Matt delivered that.
Golf has changed massively — the characters have disappeared because the culture has shifted
Everything's changed massively. Players have changed massively. Characters have changed massively. When I first came out, it was literally down and out. All tramps sleeping in the hedges with a bottle in the side pocket and going out in hob-nail boots and overcoats. Now it's very, very professional.
You know, when I first started to caddy, you couldn't afford to get on an aeroplane and now you get these lads flying around in the players' private jets. I slept in tents and bushes and now they're staying in five star hotels. It's a completely different ball game. The work ethic's changed, and the players — 20 or 30 years ago all the players on the European tour, they'd all meet in the hotel bar and I'd have two or three pints for having a bit of a laugh and telling stories and jokes and carrying on.
Now it's players who keep it to themselves. They're all in the gym, they're eating healthy, they don't really mix that much. The characters have left the game to a certain extent. It's just a totally different game.
The actual game itself is completely different as well. The equipment has changed, the ball is going miles and the shot making is not what it used to be. It's changed a lot and not all for the best I don't think.
I haven't really changed. I shoot from the hip and say what's on my mind. I try to temper it a little bit but I'm not afraid to say what I think and sometimes you have to adapt with different players.
I couldn't say to Lee Westwood what I'd say to Sergio Garcia that I couldn't say to Seve Ballesteros. You have to adapt and change your tone. You have to approach things differently with different players because they're all different.
Some guys sometimes don't like what you say but sometimes they really take it on board and thank you for your honesty, and do something about it and other times it's got me fired, but you know I’m not going to change.
At the end of the day, I'm trying to be constructive with what I say to make people better. Because guess what? The better they are, the more they’re going to benefit. If I see a weakness, I've never been afraid to say my piece, and sometimes it's got me into bother, but that's the way it is.
I have nothing but good things to say about Matt Fitzpatrick and will always be thankful to him for what we achieved together
I've been very honest with Matt on several occasions but he's normally taken it on board and reacted to it in a positive way. It's just the fact that he's been playing poorly for the last year, he's getting down with his game and you can feel the disappointment in the air around you. Sometimes it just needs a shake up.
I'm man enough to take it out on the chin and say, you know what, you're probably right, mate. It might do us both good. We'll see. You move on. But I have no regrets.
I have nothing but good things to say about him and I'll move on and the next time I see him, I'll give him a hug and say, listen, it's no problem. I totally understand. I'll give him a hug next time I see him. It's been a great journey and I'm very thankful for everything that he provided for me and my family. So, that's it.
Rory McIlroy is a different animal this year — I saw a key moment during the Players Championship that proved it
I think what happened to Rory at the US Open last year has made him into a different animal to be quite honest. It's made him stronger, what happened to him.
I said it at the start of the season, I think it'll make him a lot stronger going forward and he's showing that already. The way he played the last hole at Pebble Beach, an iron off the tee and laying it up and chipping on, which the Rory of old would have probably wanged a driver down there, he's maturing and looks mentally stronger through what happened at the US Open last year.
It's just my own personal opinion but it’s the way he's carrying himself and the way he's speaking. You can tell he's a bit steelier and wiser. I can see him having a really, really big season.
The majors are there for Rory to lose this year not just because he won at the Players Championship but for the way he went about winning it
I find it staggering if he doesn't win one this year. Obviously it’s only one month out of 11 this year but I think his playing is so good, so regular, that to think he won’t win at least one this year, that would be amazing.
Rory is up there as the best player in the world again this year. He is in the official world ranking points this year too, he's earned the most points so far, so he's obviously the hottest player in the world right now.
Billy’s picks for the Masters — including the dark horse Billy has seen in action up close already this year
Going over the results for the last four masters, I went through all the world rankings.
Number one on my list is Collin Morikawa. In his last four Masters, he's finished third, 10th, fifth and 18th in the last four Masters and third last year. He's fifth on the World Points rankings this year. He's obviously playing really well every week.
I’ve got McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Joachim Niemann who’s won six times in the last 15 months, Ludwig Aberg, and another one that’s a bit of a dark horse that I can see starting to perform is Will Zalatoris who’s had three top nine finishes in the last four Masters.
We played with him last week and he looks pretty good.
Scottie Scheffler’s struggles shows golf is such a bizarre game — he reminds me of Lee Westwood when I used to work with him
I don’t know the story with Scottie but golf’s such a bizarre game. It's all about confidence and keeping that momentum going and obviously when he's won nine times last year, his record at the Masters is first, 10th, first and 18th in his last four Masters.
He’s still the number one in the world rankings by a clear three points from Rory but obviously the wine glass incident knocked him back a little bit. He's not come out so far as good as he has done in the last three or four years but you know I still have him up with everyone among the favourites for the Masters. His distance control is as good as anybody’s on tour to be quite honest. If not the best, I think.
He's still another month away yet though. He could be up to speed by then, we'll see. He's an incredible golfer. It reminds me of when I used to work with Lee Westwood. He'd hit a shot and could call within two or three yards where it’s going to land, which is a very special trait to have. He's a brilliant, brilliant player.
Criticism of Harry Diamond is well wide of the mark — Rory is playing better than ever and Harry plays his part in that
The criticism is not fair at all. It makes me laugh really at the people getting on his back. He’s just won two signature events, The Players’ Championship, in four starts and they’re still on his back.
Give the lad a break. He’s a very good caddie. Harry, don't read the shite. That's simple as. Because it is shite. Somebody's opinion that is not educated, I think it's wrong. I'd leave Harry alone. Rory's playing better than anybody this year and they're still giving the caddy flack. It's out of order.
He's his best mate, isn’t he? He has always been. He was there before he started caddying for him. Harry was his best mate. Harry's a very good golfer in his own right too. He’s a plus two handicap or whatever he is and keeps himself to himself, does everything right, he just needs to be left alone and left to get on with it. He does a really good job. I can only see the relationship getting stronger and stronger. He's caddied for him for a number of years now.
Listen, we all make mistakes out there and you learn from them. You move on and that's it.
Will Harry Diamond be feeling similar pressure to Rory on winning another Major this year?
You can only have one mind and that's about concentrating on the tournament. Use the newspapers as fish and chip paper. Just prepare and do your best for the tournament you're involved in. You can't look back. You've got to move forward.
Ludwig Aberg has everything a golfer needs to compete with the very best apart from one key factor
Ludwig is up there with the most impressive player I've seen in the last decade. He needs to change nothing about his game. He's up there with the best player in the world.
People seem to forget he's only been a pro for about 18 months. In that time, he's done incredibly well, obviously won in Switzerland, he debuted in the Ryder Cup after having been a pro for four months, and he's won in America a couple of times, finished second in his Masters debut.
There's not a lot else more he could do. He's playing brilliantly. He's one of those six players that I believe can win the Masters. He's got a good caddy on the bag and he does everything right. He keeps himself to himself. Very likeable lad. Get’s on with his game.
The one thing he hasn't got is the experience, and I accept that he's come in as a youngster and done a lot, when you are one of the leading players in the game and you're being put in those three balls with some of the others.
You're the plum TV draw, that is one of the things that he's now got to adapt to and cope with because his impact has been so high.
I sent a text message to Luke Donald about Ludwig Aberg — four months later he picked him for the Ryder Cup
He's caught up with it since day one. He doesn't have to learn to do anything. He's doing everything right. You cannot knock him one but. He handles himself brilliantly. I played with him with Fitz. I was out with him on his debut at the Canadian Open in 2023. I'll never forget the day. It was Aberg’s first ever tournament and we played with him for the first two rounds.
On the evening of the second round when we played with him I sent a text message to Luke Donald saying we've just played with Henrik Stenson's love child. If you're good enough, you're old enough, and this lad's going to be a stud — keep a tab on all his moves from here.
And four months later, he's playing the Ryder Cup. So that's how much he impressed me the very first time we were out with him. He's got nothing to learn. He's obviously played at a really high standard in college golf. I know college golf's different, but he obviously was number one and number two in the world.
I don't know exactly what it was in the amateur rankings but as a college player who was up there with the best, these lads come off the college, they're ready. They're all ready. It's almost like the mature pros as soon as they turn up these days. It's a different stratosphere to what it was 15 or 20 years ago. These lads come out ready to win.
The only thing that can stop Aberg given his talent is injuries, and the game has got worse for that given what golfers have to put themselves through
It’s now all about injuries and the way the lads go at the ball so much faster these days compared to what they did 20 years ago.
There's people picking up injuries and then you lose a bit of confidence and you might change your caddy, you might change your coach, you might change your equipment. Max Homa has gone from being one of the world's best players last year to really struggling this year. That can happen.
Harris English did the same a number of years ago where he came out and, to me, he was a generational talent but had a few injuries and then he changed his coach and changed his equipment and he lost his confidence and he disappeared for a few years.
He's now back to being one of the world's best players again and that's golf. It’s a fun game. You never know what's around the corner. You have to have a real strong mind and keep in physically good shape to keep at the top.
You know the stars will align and if everything goes his way Aberg can hang around and be a top five player in the world for a decade or so.
Billy’s picks for surprises ahead of the Masters
Shane Lowry's track record around there the last four years has been good. Xander Schauffele is great and obviously won two majors last year. He's not quite in the best form at the minute but he'll be knocking on the door.
Then you've got the likes of Cam Smith, Hideki Matsuyama and even Russell Henley. He finished fourth at the Masters two years ago and he's made the second most points on the world rankings this year.
There's a few little surprise names in there or just a few names that would be good value bets, I would say.
Will we see anything from Matt Fitzpatrick at Augusta?
Golf is a weird game and it's all mental and confidence.
It can be as simple as having one good round under your belt and you feel comfortable. He's just not felt comfortable with his swing of late and he's been struggling.
Matt's record at Augusta is decent. He's finished 22nd, 10th and 14th, whatever it is in the last three years. If he finds any thought of swing and feels a lot more confident, that can change very quickly. That's the way golf is.
You go through peaks and troughs. You can be hot for three or four months and you think to yourself, I can never see myself playing badly again then all of a sudden you play badly for three or four months and you think you're never going to play good again. It's all very mental. Confidence is a massive thing. But it can change very quickly overnight.
He's always been the same. He's been that way since he was 14 years old. It's made him what he is. It's made him a US Open champion doing what he does. So why change it? Everybody's different. All players are different and that's the way Matt's mentality is towards the game. It's made him the player that he's become.
What’s next for Billy as a caddy
I've done this since I was 16 years old. You know, I'm a bit of a nomad. I’ve always been on the road. If somebody said they got to live 50 weeks a year in Bingley, West Yorkshire I need to be out there doing some thing on tour.
I don’t know what’s next at this stage. I might come back caddying. I might come back on course, commentating. I might come back doing something completely different. I don’t know.
Ideally I’d still like to caddy. I’m 59 so I think I’ve got two or three years left in me. If it means going back to caddying full-time it depends what gets offered. I don’t rule anything out at this stage.
Will we see Billy Foster launch a YouTube career after the success of Bryson DeChambeau?
You're giving me ideas now! I'll listen to other people to advise me on what to do because I won't have a clue how to do it myself. I'm a bit of a dinosaur artist. All this modern social media stuff is not really me but listen, if that's possible, yeah I'd probably enjoy doing something like that, to be quite honest. If that opportunity came along, yeah.
Jimmy Bullard and Tubes do something similar. You get a few celebrities out there, a few pros and I’d always get away with a little bit more than most people because I'm that cheeky fellow that asks questions. It wouldn't bother me. I'd quite enjoy it, actually.
I could do a little bit with Sky. I don't know. We'll see. I'm not quite sure if I’m PC enough for live TV I don't think but we'll see. They’d need quite a bit of a delay, won't they? They need the red button.
You've got to be a natural, haven't you, and sail on the seat of your pants and say what you think. There's too many people not saying anything these days. That's the problem.
Billy’s view on TGL Golf
I don't really watch it. I spoke to Fitz about it and he says when you're in the arena he really likes it. Personally, I watched 20 minutes of it two or three weeks ago and it won't be for me.
Then again, some people really like it. I haven't really got an opinion on it. I watched it once, it won't be me so I won't be watching it again.
Can the different format of TGL Golf help players?
I wouldn't have thought so. It's like going to a pub with your mates, isn't it? Just having a bit of a knock around in nets. That's just a bit of a laugh, really. I don't think they take it too seriously.
But then again, there's some pretty decent prize money at the end of it. I'm sure it's getting a bit more serious towards the end result.
Billy’s picks for the best caddies in the world — it’s not possible
I never have an opinion on myself. I never have an opinion on other caddies. At the end of the day, there's lots of good caddies out there that have not been fortunate enough to get top jobs. There's caddies out there in top jobs that probably aren't as good a caddy as some other caddies. At the end of the day, a caddie is only as good as the golfer they caddy for, that’s all I'd say.
There's 100 lads out there doing exactly the same job, doing great jobs, some not as lucky as others. I won't have an opinion on the top 10 caddies or top 5 caddies. It's not for me to say.
PRIME CASINO
Join Prime Casino and embark on your journey with a choice of welcome offers,exciting promotions, innovative features and one of the biggest selections of online casino games available. Transcend the Ordinary with Prime Casino – where exceptional experiences await!
