It works in other leagues, maybe not with as narrow a list as 1 but lots of top players have forced their way out in trades before ever playing (Eric Lindros and Steve Francis come to mind, but even junior hockey players do this somewhat regularly). 

You don’t know that he made a bad agreement, you’re just assuming he did and shitting on him for his behaviour in light of that assumption you’ve made.

Yeah. Kuchar says they agreed on $4000, Ortiz says they agreed on $3000 plus “some percentage of any winnings.” 

I mean, it’s better than “the ‘Tics”

Well that’s the thing, Ortiz says that was not the agreement. You’re taking Kuchar’s version (which, of course, makes Ortiz seem unreasonable) as fact. 

Thanks, it’s nice to get a response from someone who isn’t falling all over themselves to claim that Actually, Everything Here is Fine And Who Are You to Question Anyone

Friend, I suspect that my opinions about what teachers should be paid will blow your fucking mind. 

Yeah, I would argue that (assuming you’re American and tipping is used as justification to pay servers less than minimum wage where you are) you are obliged to tip.

Thanks, I hate it

Yeah, I acknowledge these realities. I think paying out less than the full share would have been fine for a few reasons, but handing him ~4% of that and walking away is a dick move. 

I see it characterized as typical for caddies to make 5-10%. Phrasing it as a gift is probably unreasonable, obviously the tour regulars are taking on major financial risk if the players they caddy for just decide to stop handing out these “gifts” (since they’re not paid fairly outside of that).

I think that’s worth considering (although Ortiz would know the course better than any regular caddie).

It’s unclear what was agreed upon. As for “custom” vs. “obligation” I’m not going to get into that kind of hair-splitting; literally the first definition on Dictionary.com of obligation is basically “something someone is bound to do which arises from law, custom, etc. 

I bet if he’d given him $20K upfront that would have been the end of it. 

I agree, I’m sure it was a good week for him (financially) regardless. That doesn’t make what he was paid fair.

You can go read the articles Deadspin is aggregating and see for yourself that it is less clear than that. We have Kuchar saying it was a flat $4000 and we have Ortiz’s perspective summarized as well:

The garish yellow shirt? Apprehended at Pechanga? Is this guy by any chance a Kobe fan? 

Me neither =(

Amazing. I am astonished that someone in this sport (at an event at a club with $400+ green fees, no less) thinks that a certain class of people is beneath him and has assumed the posture that offering them a pittance of their due is an act of grace on his part. 

Why is Kuchar not obligated to pay his caddy the going rate just because it’s not his usual caddy?