Getty Dustin Johnson's brother Austin "AJ" Johnson is also his caddie.
Dustin Johnson has a unique relationship with his caddie as Austin Johnson is also his brother. As Dustin has enjoyed one of his most successful years on the golf course, it has also been lucrative for Austin. Like all PGA Tour caddies, Austin’s salary is not made public but the profession is widely based on the success of the golfer as the majority of their money is made through the percentage of the tournament purses they receive.
Dustin has made more than $5 million in six straight seasons which is also good news for Austin. Forbes reported in 2017 that Austin was among the highest-paid caddies with $1.6 million annual earnings. Despite popular perception, being a caddie is not necessarily a lucrative career as each person’s earnings is heavily tied to the success of their particular golfer. If a golfer is in a slump, caddies can take a steep financial hit as many are responsible for their own travel expenses for each PGA Tour event.
Top golfers typically pay their caddies between eight to ten percent of their earnings, per Forbes. Dustin would earn a little more than $2 million for a 2020 Masters win which puts Austin’s share at between $160,000 and $200,000 if his brother is able to secure a green jacket.
Austin Johnson’s Wife Samantha Maddox Was Also a College Athlete
Austin met his wife Samantha Maddox while the two were student-athletes at the College of Charleston. Austin played basketball while Samantha was on the tennis team, but he traded in his high tops for a golf bag. The couple got married in 2018 at an elaborate Palm Beach, Florida wedding at the Colonial Hotel which sits on the Atlantic Ocean.
“Our guests and family danced and sang the night away into the early morning hours,” the couple told Wedding Style Magazine.
Austin Earned an Estimated $1.5 Million After Dustin Won the Tour Championship
The Athletic’s Brendan Quinn reported that Austin earned 10 percent of Dustin’s Tour Championship win which gave the caddie a $1.5 million check. Austin admitted he hoped that he received 10 percent of his brother’s massive payday as Quinn detailed.
A cool $1.5 million. That’s the cut. That’s what Johnson earned at East Lake while working for his brother, Dustin, the winner of the 2020 Tour Championship, the FedEx Cup championship and the $15 million haul that comes with it. The typical commission for a PGA Tour caddie on a winning bag is 10 percent. Do the math. The $1.5 million heading to Austin Johnson’s account is more than the winner’s share in 24 of the 37 PGA Tour events played this season, including the $1.3 million Dustin Johnson netted for capturing the Travelers Championship in June. The $1.5 million would rank 489th on the PGA Tour’s all-time money list.
Dustin believes his brother would be a great caddie for anyone but has no plans of letting family walk away from his bag. The golfer added that his vision is to have Austin competing alongside him for a “long time.”
“It didn’t take him long to catch on,” Dustin told The Athletic. “He’s a very good caddie and he would do well for anybody, but he’s going to be on my bag for a long time.”
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