Willy Wilcox’s golf journey has been anything but straightforward. Once a PGA Tour player earning millions, he stepped away after years of battling addiction. Now, he’s back at the game’s highest stage—the Masters—this time as a caddie.

We sit down with Wilcox to discuss his journey—from growing up on Alabama golf courses to life on tour, sobriety, and what it means to walk Augusta National in a completely different role.

Childhood in Alabama

The story of Willy Wilcox begins with his mom. Kim Wilcox won over 50 tournaments as a junior golfer, was a four-year letter winner at Auburn, and finished runner-up in the 1988 Alabama State Women’s Amateur Championship. She had aspirations of joining the LPGA Tour, but life intervened. In the late 1980s, she had Willy, and by 1991, she became the club manager and golf pro at the now-defunct Pine Harbor Golf and Racquet Club in Pell City, Alabama.

It’s here that Willy’s golf journey begins. “I was lucky to have my mom teach me the fundamentals. By the time I was 5 or 6, I just rode to work with her every day to the golf course. It was cheaper than daycare,” Wilcox explains. He reflects on growing up at Pine Harbor, a place that no longer exists and is unlike any course left in the area.

Wilcox’s early experiences laid the foundation for his golf career. “When I came in second at the state junior as a 12-year-old, it motivated me to quit other sports and focus on golf,” he says. Another key moment came when he beat Patton Kizzire, a current PGA Tour member, to qualify for the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur.

These milestones earned Wilcox a full golf scholarship to The University of Alabama at Birmingham, where Northern Irish legend Graeme McDowell had just finished his collegiate career. However, Wilcox’s time at UAB was short-lived. “I was spending too much time going to T-town and hanging around bad influences from high school,” he admits. After just one season, he transferred to Clayton State in Georgia, where he says he “somewhat cleaned up my act.” He went on to earn All-American honors three times.

Professional Career

After college, Wilcox immediately turned professional. He spent his first years earning a living on the Hooter’s Tour and other mini-tours. In 2011, he moved up to the Korn Ferry Tour, then known as the Web.com Tour. In 2013, he made history by carding a 59 in the Utah Championship, tying a tour record for the lowest single-round score. He finished 7th on the regular season money list that year, securing his PGA Tour card for the 2014 season.

Wilcox had achieved what most golfers only dream of—making it to the PGA Tour. However, before he could even make his first start, he was hit with a major setback. He failed a tour-required drug test for marijuana, a banned substance, resulting in a five-month suspension. Although the infraction may seem minor to some, it was indicative of a deeper struggle. Wilcox served his suspension and finished the season strong, keeping his tour card for several more years and earning over $2.4 million in prize money. But his struggles with addiction continued.

Struggles with Substance Abuse and Finding Sobriety

Throughout his professional career, Wilcox battled substance abuse, including painkillers, heroin, and other opioids. “A lot of it was to combat anxiety. I didn’t know how hard and stressful pro golf was going to be,” he says. As his mental and physical health deteriorated, he ultimately retired from professional golf in 2021 after losing his status on both the PGA and Korn Ferry tours.

In 2022, Wilcox went to rehab during the New Year’s holiday and completed three more stints that year. The third one stuck. During this time, he began caddying for other professional golfers.

Wilcox attributes his sobriety to simply getting older and wiser. He realized the weight of others relying on him, especially the players he caddied for, and the reality that with fentanyl in the mix, anyone using street drugs was closer to death than ever before.

“Life is great now,” he says. “My family life is good, and I have a serious girlfriend. I wish I would have seen the light while I was playing, but everything happens for a reason.” Wilcox seems content with where he is now and truly enjoys his second career as a “looper,” the professional golf term for caddie.

Looping for Sungjae Im and the Mystique of Augusta National

When Wilcox retired from playing, he wasn’t sure what his next step would be. But then, “caddying fell into my lap,” he says. He started by caddying for friends on the PGA Tour, and his big break came when he caddied for Ben Carr, who finished second in a tournament. Wilcox got a lot of air time on television that week, and it put him on the map.

Shortly after, Wilcox was hired full-time to caddy for Sungjae Im, a rising star from South Korea. Im, known for his electrifying play, holds the PGA Tour record for the most birdies in a single season and has led the tour in hole-outs from off the green during his time with Wilcox. Wilcox refers to him as “Sungjae Him” with affection.

Wilcox credits his success as a caddie to his experience as a player. He knows when to speak and, more importantly, when to remain silent. “I read greens exceptionally well, having putted on them for most of my life,” he says. “And I know not to take things personally because golf is a hard game, and I know that struggle well.”

This week, Wilcox and Im are set to appear in their third straight Masters together. Wilcox describes Augusta National as everything it’s cracked up to be and more. “The property is incredible, the practice facility is absolutely insane. Getting to walk the grounds early in the morning before people get out there is unreal. It’s like being in a fairy tale,” he says.

Wilcox also mentions a piece of Masters lore: “They have hatches in the ground like Mario tunnels, where workers can pop underground to man the moisture management system.” This state-of-the-art system highlights the lengths Augusta National goes to make the tournament perfect for players and patrons alike.

To follow along and cheer for Wilcox and Im, tune into the Masters coverage starting this Thursday through Sunday on masters.com, Thursday-Friday on ESPN, and Saturday-Sunday on CBS.

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