Carl Spackler and the 12 Greatest Caddies in Golf

They're the guys behind the guys. Loopers. Caddies. Jocks. They're side-by-side with the world's greatest players as they chase down immortality. They read the greens. Walk off the yardage. And even act as best friends and sports psychologists. From the bagmen of the big screen to the tour's best sidekicks, here are the 12 greatest caddies in golf.

Danny Noonan

In Caddyshack, Noonan was probably the hardest working caddie at Bushwood Country Club, although that's not saying much. In addition to carrying the bag for Ty Webb (Chevy Chase), Noonan won the epic caddie tournament and hooked up with hottie Lacey Underall. Not bad for someone who had to ride a bike to work.

Steve Williams

One of the most accomplished caddies on tour, Williams spent the 80s and 90s as the sidekick to Greg Norman and Ray Floyd. He’s a knowledgeable bagman who's also willing to be an enforcer: He kept spectators and cameras away from Tiger Woods for 12 years before jumping ship to work for Adam Scott. He also drives racecars. He's not your average caddie.

Eddie Lowery

Eddie Lowery is the kind of overachiever who makes you realize your own shortcomings. As a 10-year-old, he guided Francis Ouimet to victory in the 1913 U.S. Open. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, he grew up to become a multimillionaire auto dealer in San Francisco and sponsored another U.S. Open champion, Ken Venturi.

Romeo

The best caddie in West Texas, Romeo is the roommate, confidant and looper for loose cannon Roy McAvoy in Tin Cup. He guides McAvoy to the final group of the U.S. Open but can't stop him from nearly DQ-ing on the last hole.

Ricci Roberts

Roberts has walked the fairways with Ernie Els for 57 worldwide victories, including three majors. But his sure-footedness must not extend off the course: While accepting a caddie award from Els in 2011, he tripped on some stairs and broke his ankle. He rejoined Els this year and nearly led him to victory at last week’s Zurich Classic.

Fluff Cowan

The longtime caddie for Peter Jacobsen, Fluff joined up with Tiger Woods in 1997 and was the rare member of Woods' inner-circle who was almost as famous as Tiger himself. Experts have speculated that Fluff's fame actually contributed to their breakup; Woods dumped him in 1999 after one major and 7 tour wins. Cowan currently caddies for journeyman Jim Furyk.

Carl Spackler

The star of Caddyshack, Spackler was a professional caddie who once looped for the Dalai Lama himself (and received total consciousness). He was also a talented greenskeeper who knew how to fight gophers and “chinch bugs” and developed his own blend of turfgrass. Spackler dreamed of becoming the Masters champion, but the closest he got was caddying for Bishop Pickering during a round that nearly broke the Bushwood course record.

Joe LaCava

What if someone would pay you to hang out with some of the coolest, most laid back guys on tour? That’s been Joe LaCava’s life. He was on the bag for Fred Couples for 20 years before pairing up with Dustin Johnson in 2011. Then LaCava took on a client that’s a little more high-strung: He’s the current caddie for Tiger Woods.

Kristi Hommel

In the 1998 U.S. Amateur, Steve Scott held off Tiger Woods for 37 holes before finally losing to the man in red. It might have been his exceptional play or maybe his hot girlfriend/caddie Kristi Hommel (seen in this video at the 2:05 mark) just distracted Woods for most of the round.

Fanny Sunesson

Longtime caddie for Nick Faldo, Sunesson gets on the list for being an accomplished female in a field dominated by dudes. With Faldo, she was on the bag for four major wins in a nine-year period. Today, she's the mental coach for Martin Kaymer and caddie for Henrik Stenson. (What happens if Stenson and Kaymer face off in a tournament? If anyone can handle it, it's Sunesson.)

Jim "Bones" MacKay

"Bones" has been with Phil Mickelson since the beginning, carrying the bag for 15 years and all four of Mickelson's major championship victories. He's also one of Lefty's best friends.

Otto

Maybe a bigger Cinderella story than Carl Spackler, Otto went from being homeless to caddying in the Tour Championship in Happy Gilmore. He sometimes wore one shoe and often marked Happy's ball with a cracker.