The Caddie Association, membership driven organisation that is open to all caddies, are coming together for the next couple of weeks in South Africa.
Fellow member Alistair McDonald received devasting news at the start of this year when his wife Ros was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and has been given 12 months to live. He was due to start the 2025 season with Ellinor Südow from March onwards, but obviously his plans have changed, and he has had to forgo working with Ellinor and caddying for an indefinite time, to help his wife and children through these tragic circumstances.
(The McDonald family)
Ben Cain, a friend and caddie, will lead a fundraiser for the McDonald family during the Joburg Ladies Open and Investec SA Women’s Open. Players and caddies can opt in to donate 5€ per birdie and 10€ per eagle across both tournaments.
The money raised isn’t for treatment but to allow for him and his family to hopefully get away together, and create some lasting and special memories with one another.
“All of us here on Tour, the caddies, the players and the staff are thinking of Alistair and his family in these very difficult times, and want to show some form of support for our well-loved member. He’s not just a friend, but an extension of our family and we want to surround him with the same support he’s always shown us”, said Cain.
“Not the loudest of guys but always cracking a joke and became the dad of the group of caddies on Tour. Always the first to help out or offer when needed, and would always go the extra mile for whoever he was working for, Mr Dependable! It’s nice to know he can be that guy for his family now”, he continued.
(Alistair McDonald with Alice Hewson)
McDonald came back out on Tour a couple of years ago after taking a sabbatical from the prison system of New Zealand. Following the end of this sabbatical, his wife and children saw how much happier he was being on Tour, and life was better for everyone in the family, so they made the decision for him to come out and caddie full time.
Alistair has been a part of The Caddies Association for the last few years and has been a great friend to Ben and all the boys, and is thought of highly across players and tour staff alike.
