WILLY WILCOX is not your typical caddie as not only did he compete on the PGA Tour but also played while battling a heroin addiction.
Now Sung-Jae Im’s right-hand man, the American golfer imagines the two-time PGA tour winner knows little about his past as .
In 2011 Wilcox, 38, was regarded as a rising star in American golf.
The highlights of his career included eight top-ten finishes, a victory on the Korn Ferry Tour plus a hole-in-one on the iconic island 17th at TPC Sawgrass.
But what may amaze fans is how Wilcox achieved this success while suffering from an addiction problem.
He told The Times: “In my rookie year on the PGA Tour [in 2014], I would say my habit was $250 (about £190) a day on OxyContin, Percocet, a couple of beers, a couple of Xanax. You couldn’t smoke pot or the Tour would suspend you.”
That season Wilcox was duly suspended but as prescription opioids were not tested no one knew the extent of his problem.
As Wilcox became more successful all the money he earned would pay for the drugs.
In 2011 he started to use heroin which was the same year he qualified for the US Open.
Surprisingly, his performance didn’t immediately decline even when he turned to heroin during the extended breaks between events.
Then in 2015 after battling withdrawal symptoms, Wilcox managed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs — a prestigious tournament reserved for the top 125 players worldwide.
He continued: “I’d have 10,000 people screaming because I’d made a 40ft putt and I’d earn $500,000 (£385,000) — then I’d be in a heroin den two hours later with homeless drug addicts.”
Wilcox battled with withdrawal symptoms that led him to pull out of the next event.
While he tried to pick things up again in the 2016 season his addiction took over, with him losing money and his status in the game before retiring in 2021.
Wilcox played in 72 events on the PGA Tour and earned nearly £2million in prize money.
The last of his cash was spent on rehab and the former golfer turned to caddying.
Despite a car crash causing him to relapse Wilcox bumped into old playing partner Im at the US Open in 2023.
He said: “I saw him at the US Open [in 2023] and he pretty much got rid of his caddie on the spot. He saw me and said, ‘You’re caddying for me.'”
The South Korean, 26, has six top-ten finishes this season and is one of the form players in the world heading into the Open.
