Short Answer
The best-known modern example is Matt Kuchar, who was heavily criticised after a payment dispute with local caddie David Ortiz following the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Key Takeaways
- Matt Kuchar is the golfer most people mean here.
- The dispute was about the amount paid, not a literal zero payment.
- Kuchar later apologised and paid Ortiz more after public criticism.
What happened
Kuchar used local caddie David Ortiz at the 2018 Mayakoba Golf Classic. After Kuchar won, the payment to Ortiz became a public controversy because many felt it was far below the norm for a winning bag.
The story escalated because the dispute looked avoidable and became a character issue as much as a money issue.
Why the story lasted
Golf pays attention to caddie relationships because they say something about trust and professional standards.
Many fans felt the problem was not only the amount, but the judgment behind the initial stance.
How to answer this accurately
The careful way to answer is that Matt Kuchar was involved in the most widely discussed modern caddie-pay controversy.
That is more precise than saying he paid nothing at all.