At the Masters, every caddie has a number, and they wear it on their jumpsuits, which is another unique feature at the first major championship of the year.
Augusta National Golf Club thinks the number so important that they print the caddie number of each player on the tee times and pairings sheet each day. The club does that so patrons can easily identify a player they're following if all they can make out of the player-caddie combo is the caddie number on the classic Masters caddie jumpsuit.
However, there's a system which determines how a Masters caddie gets a certain number for their jumpsuit. It's a simple system, but it works.
The caddie for the defending Masters champion gets bib No. 1. That means, in 2024, Jon Rahm's caddie will be wearing No. 1 on his jumpsuit.
After the defending champion, the caddie numbers are handed out in the order by which players officially register to compete in the tournament. Since the Masters is an invitational tournament, there are no alternates and there is a defined number of players competing in the event. In 2024, that number is 89 players in total, with Akshay Bhatia earning the final spot after winning the Valero Texas Open.
So, when a player arrives at Augusta National Golf Club for the first time during Masters Week, they register to indicate they are playing -- and they don't have to register, technically, until just before their Thursday tee time -- and are assigned a caddie number based on the order in which they register.
In 2024, there are 89 players in the field. So, there are 89 caddie numbers. Order of qualifying doesn't matter at all, however, so Bhatia's caddie may not wind up wearing the number 89 for the week.
The caddie numbers are another subtle tradition at the Masters that most fans won't notice, but if you pay attention, it gives you some additional insight into how players prepare for the tournament.
