Should caddies get Olympic medals? This one weighs in

The Indiana Pacers’ Tyrece Haliburton went viral after the Olympics by hilariously making light of his lack of playing time during Team USA Basketball’s run to Olympic gold.

“When you ain’t do nun on the group project and still get an A,” Haliburton wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of his gold medal.

Haliburton didn’t play any meaningful minutes for Team USA, but was still given a medal for being on the winning team.

That doesn’t happen in Olympic golf, as, for example, Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott, didn’t receive anything for helping Scheffler to Olympic gold. You could argue Scott played a whole lot more meaningful minutes than Haliburton did.

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Scott’s fellow Team USA caddie, John Ellis, the looper for Wyndham Clark, wants to see that change. He says caddies for Olympic medalists should be getting medals too.

“I mean, it’s part of the team, right?” Ellis told GOLF in an interview this past week. “Like in basketball, some guys don’t play, you’re still part of that team. So I’d like to see in the future the caddie maybe be a part of it. I know it’s hard because then the swim coach might say they deserve it. Not that they do or don’t, but we’re actually in it. I’d like to think one day it could happen. But ultimately, it’s about our guys and we’re just trying to help them get a medal or play their best golf.”

GOLF chatted with Ellis on a number of topics to get a sense of what the Olympics was like for himself and the other caddies.

[This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.]

GOLF: You just came back from the Olympics in Paris. What’s different from the PGA Tour?

Ellis: As far as the golf and the tournaments, it’s not too much, but it was an unbelievable experience. It actually blew me out of the water. You know, I just assumed it would be essentially just another golf tournament and stepping on that first tee, representing your country and hearing the USA chants or even the other countries’ chants, it just seems so much bigger. And, you know, it was just so cool to be a part of obviously, when we’re here [in Memphis], you know, you’re playing for yourself.

GOLF: What was the dynamic like between you and the other Team USA caddies during the games? Was there a team atmosphere for you guys?

Ellis: One hundred percent. We played our practice rounds together and I’ve never seen so much good banter back and forth and rooting for each other. It was Wyndham and Scottie each day against Xander [Schauffele] and Collin [Morikawa] and they had great matches. It was just so cool to see the top four Americans right now, playing together, rooting for each other, competing against each other and ultimately hoping USA comes back with medals. Obviously, we didn’t get a medal, but USA got a medal and it seemed like we all kind of got a medal, right?

GOLF: Who won those matches between the four Americans?

Ellis: Scottie and Wyndham lost day one, won day two and then the grudge match went to Wyndham and Scottie on Wednesday, so it was really cool.

GOLF: What’s different for the caddies, specifically, at the Olympics versus on the PGA Tour?

Ellis: I mean maybe we work a little more together. I actually got sick on Tuesday and then the boys took care of me. They’re like, ‘Hey, we’ll help Wyndham around.’ Listen, the guys out here are amazing, but you know you’re out here for your team and we help each other, but you know when you’re doing it for the Olympics, it’s like I said, we all try to help each other. So the boys were kind enough to look after me and if I saw something on the course, I would say something.

GOLF: How much of the Games did you get to take in? Or was it all business?

Ellis: Thursday or Wednesday night, JJ Jakovac, Collin Morikawa’s caddie, and I went to swimming which was an awesome atmosphere. We got to see the French guy win two gold medals, break a world record. We got to see [Katie] Ledecky win the 1500. It was just so electric to be a part of that. It was just the coolest thing. And then Sunday night, Wyndham, his girlfriend and I went to the 100-meter race and watched Noah Lyles win the 100-meter run and a few other events. Those two events were pretty epic and Wyndham was lucky enough to get us good seats. In that atmosphere, I felt like I could run a 4.3 [second] 40 [yard-dash]!

GOLF: Was there anything you took away from watching all of these great athletes?

Ellis: Just the work and dedication and all that they put in. You know, we have different tournaments week in and week out and they put all this time and effort for the 100 meter, say for nine seconds, for four years.

GOLF: You have all these medals being given out in different sports, but in golf, there’s just one competition and just the golfer gets the medal. Do you think the caddies of the medal winners should also get medals?

Ellis: I do. I mean, it’s part of the team, right? Like in basketball, some guys don’t play, you’re still part of that team. So I’d like to see in the future the caddie maybe be a part of it. I know it’s hard because then the swim coach might say they deserve it. Not that they do or don’t, but we’re actually in it. I’d like to think one day it could happen. But ultimately, it’s about our guys and we’re just trying to help them get a medal or play their best golf.

GOLF: In golf, we usually just celebrate the winner, but we pay out the entire field. At the Olympics, we celebrate the top three players, but those are the only three who take away any prizes. How different is that to think about during the round?

Ellis: You know, this week [in Memphis] there’s only one winner. Well in the Olympics there are essentially three winners. Obviously the gold is the ultimate. But to me, silver and bronze are essentially the same thing. And if you’re sitting on that podium, you’ve won. I think that’s the way Wyndham looked at it too.

GOLF: Do you think that’s really been embraced?

Ellis: The atmosphere, the people, the hooting and hollering, the way the guys showed their emotion, the nerves that some guys show, you could tell it meant a lot. It has to be embraced from now on. Everyone’s going to want to make LA [2028] just because of that.

GOLF: Changing topics a bit, this is year two for Saxx’s sponsorship deal with several Tour caddies and year one for you, they gave you some stars and stripes underwear for the Olympics, do you have a strategy for when you break them out? Are they just for U.S. holidays?

Ellis: No! They’re in the regular rotation now. I freaking love those ones. I get reminded of the Olympics every time I put it on. I feel like we live in the best country in the world, but the Olympics is going to go down as one of the coolest experiences of my life, no matter what happens. And, anytime I get to throw on the Olympic undies, I’m dialed.

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GOLF: Did you ever think while you were coaching at Oregon, ‘Hey, one day I’m gonna model underwear while caddying for one of the best players in the world’?

Ellis: No, not at all. Wyndham always jokes, and obviously, Wyndham is a pretty good-looking guy and his agent does well with the ladies and between the three of us, he jokes every time he sees one of them, ‘God, who would of thought of the three of us, you would be the underwear model?’ I was like, ‘I will eat your heart out, kid. One day you’ll get there.’

GOLF: There’s only been a handful of caddie sponsorships before this, what do you think the appeal is now?

Ellis: I think it’s smart. The caddies are usually some of the more outspoken on Tour and I think it’s been awesome for us, but then even some of the brands. We get to show some other personalities and the companies get to have more fun with us than maybe some of the players because they’re serious and can’t do some of the obligations that we can do.