Luke Donald, the captain of the European team for the 2025 Ryder Cup, is looking to become the first Englishman to win the PGA Championship since 1919. However, the 47-year-old English golfer is seeking his first big (major) win with the help of Sam Matton, a caddie who battles one of his biggest demons: alcohol addiction. Sounds like a tough job? It really isn’t. Part of the confidence comes from Matton himself, who agrees, “The important thing isn’t where you’ve been, it’s where you’re going, right?” But Matton wasn’t this confident until Luke Donald first sought his help.

Luke Donald met Matton about a year ago at the 2023 Team Cup, where he scouted young European players as the Ryder Cup captain while Matton caddied for Jordan Smith. They got along well, but that was it. Then, last summer, Donald unexpectedly reached out to Matton for help at the BMW International Open in Germany. He learned Matton was available and asked him to come to Munich, but this amazing opportunity confused Matton.

In a recent exclusive interview, the caddie said, “Really, even now, I don’t know why. He [Donald] was scraping the bottom of the barrel.” What exactly did Sam Matton deal with? Less than a year ago, Matton struggled with his recovery. The hidden battle finally caught up with him after years of drug and alcohol addiction. For a long time, cocaine was his main enemy, but eventually, alcohol became a problem too. The addiction was so disastrous that Matton had to step away from golf for the first time since he started playing at the age of 12. After stepping away from golf in 2023, Matton started working with a friend’s construction crew. He paid the bills by helping to install drainage lines and foundations for large private homes.

Talking about those days, Matton continued, “Things were way, way out of control. It got worse and worse and worse and finally was so far off track and had to walk away, take some time off. It was as simple as that.” However, perhaps nothing showcases Matton’s willpower than him acknowledging his mistake and taking the matter in his own hands.

At the end of 2023, Matton considered treatment. He spoke with therapists and realized his addiction issues were linked to his long struggle with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Matton focused on changing his compulsive habits, found support in physical fitness, and improved his diet. He made a plan to avoid relapses and committed to it. As a result, he now stands beside the European team’s captain in the PGA Championship.

Luke Donald appreciated Matton’s honesty as well, as he admitted after his first round at the PGA Championship: “He was extremely honest about everything. That was all I needed to hear. Everyone deserves second chances and everyone makes mistakes.”  Donald is heading into the second round after finishing his first round with a bogey-free 67. He hired Matton not only for the good results he helped him achieve but also for his personality and positive energy.

Matton is the kind of caddie who understands the job while keeping things light. While walking the 12th hole on Thursday, with Donald at 3-under, Matton joked that if Donald won the tournament, he might qualify for his own Ryder Cup team. They shared a laugh and finished the back nine without any issues. Given Donald’s history with caddies—the Englishman hasn’t maintained a long-term partnership with any caddie since he parted ways with John McLaren in 2010—this particular partnership seems important. Aside from McLaren, Dean Elliot, and Matton, Donald’s brother, Christian Donald, has also served as his caddie.

However, such success stories battling addiction are not that common, as unfortunately, the golf world is familiar with another story.

Willy Wilcox’s long and hard battle with alcohol addiction before turning into a caddie

In March, Willy Wilcox sat down for an interview with Golf Digest and shared one of the most terrifying moments of his life. It came when the former PGA Tour pro bought a bag of cocaine with his friends, which turned out to be laced with a dangerous substance. His heart rate soared to 222 beats per minute, and doctors rushed him to the emergency room. The intense pain in his heart lasted for days, leading him to declare, “It was terrifying.”

Wilcox grew up in a small town where prescription medications were easily accessible. He became desensitized to substances and started using painkillers like OxyContin in middle school. This early exposure set the stage for his struggles with addiction, which worsened under the pressures of professional golf, where he faced severe anxiety and found it hard to eat and sleep. After years of battling his addiction, he sought help in 2022 and entered rehab after retiring from professional play.

Just like Sam Matton, Wilcox found redemption in PGA Tour star Sungjae Im, who asked him to caddie for him “on the spot” at the 2023 US Open. This role allowed him to travel and work without the pressures of competition, helping him maintain his sobriety. This new chapter gave Wilcox a way to stay connected to the game that had defined his life, but from a different perspective.