PGA Tour Wash Hands Of Caddie After Sending Him On $200 A Minute Ambulance Journey

PGA Tour caddie Mick Middlemo's story of being treated on the course at this years Shell Houston Open and then being with a crippling bill.

Mick Middlemo's story sadly reflect's how the PGA Tour treat caddies.

We've had many stories over the years on just how badly caddies are treated on both the PGA and European Tour but Mick Middlemo's tale of being hit with a $3,400 bill after feeling ill on the course at the Shell Houston Open takes beating.

Caddying during the tournament for Will Wilcox Middlemo became dehydrated and received medical attention.

In his own words.

"I was treated with an IV then had an EKG and was told I needed further tests at the hospital.  I asked to drive there myself and was told it was a risk, so they shipped me off by ambulance.  They did some blood tests and gave me two more IV's and I was released.  I then got a bill for $3400 dollars. I was asked by the PGA Tour to submit a claim but It was rejected. I wrote to tournament director Steve Timms and he too rejected my claim."

Like most self employed business people Middlemo's deductible is $5000 meaning he must pay the first $5,000 of any bill himself before health insurance kicks in.

The real problem here seems to be that the caddie could have driven himself to the hospital but a decision was made to send him in the ambulance and he was given no real choice but to do as advised.  So was the ambulance necessary?

Mick again.

"I wanted to drive myself but they claimed it was to dangerous as I might pass out. I sat in the back just talking to the ambulance people about where I was from in Australia!! Then walked into the hospital!!"

So to the $3,400 bill. A staggering $2,095 of it was for the 11 minute journey from the course to the hospital. That's an expensive taxi!

Middlemo's journey from course to hospital.

 Here's the ambo bill!

The ambo bill!

First Mick contacted Andy Levinson from the PGA Tour seeking some respite

Cue some expert hand washing by the PGA Tour.  I wonder how many times Andy has written the exact same letter.

Now feeling understandably desperate Middlemo contacted the tournament director Steve Tims who it turned out was even better than Adam Levinson at absolving himself of an responsibility or offering to help out.

No bill has been paid since, Mick Middlemo will find it hard to get it paid, the Tour and the tournament wont help. The sad thing is it will probably happen some other poor looper next week. No lessons will be learned.  That, in a nutshell, is the life of a caddie. And how big business, in a quick email, can wriggle out of taking any responsibility.

Would it happen a player? Not a chance.


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