Every golfer has a story, and so does every caddie who walks beside them. From once chasing birdies for himself to now helping someone else make them, a former pro has found a second chapter in becoming a caddie. This caddy is currently playing a supportive role in Rico Hoey’s success. Bryan Martin is Hoey’s caddy. He has been with the PGA Tour pro for over 2 years now.

Bryan Martin’s early life and golf career

Bryan Martin was born on March 11, 1986, to Scott and Cindy Martin. He was born and brought up in Thousand Oaks, California. Before taking up golf, Martin also played basketball and baseball for 2 years. But he soon realized that golf was the one for him, and he pursued it at Thousand Oaks High School. He also earned varsity letters twice in high school, thanks to his outstanding performance, especially during senior year, when he averaged 73.0 over 18 holes.

After that, he headed to Moorpark College, where his game really started to take off. His time there gave him a real shot at confidence about chasing the PGA Tour dream. He tied for third and helped his team finish second at the WSC Tournament in March 2006. He also placed T34 at the U.S. Open Local Qualifier and T3 at the SCGA Amateur Qualifier. Later, while competing for Loyola Marymount, he kept that momentum going, finishing inside the top 10 in several events, including the Bill Cullum Invitational and the ClubGlove Intercollegiate.

After playing collegiate golf, he turned pro in 2012. Martin has made total career earnings of $71,155 on the PGA Tour. However, this was not enough, and Martin realized it soon. “I used to play and then I had to figure out a way to make some money,” Rico Hoey’s caddy said about switching rather than continuing on the PGA Tour.

Bryan Martin’s caddying career

Although Martin’s LinkedIn profile says that he is a professional golfer on the PGA Tour, he has made a complete switch to caddying. Bryan Martin has a professional background as a golfer, which has helped him transition smoothly into caddying. Since he has a background in playing, golfers tend to listen to him, as he has the right experience to give suggestions.

He has previously caddied for PGA Tour winner Kurt Kitayama. Kitayama is a 2x PGA Tour and 2x DP World Tour winner. It is not clear when and for how long Martin caddied for him. However, it has been around 2 years since he has been on the side with the bag for Rico Hoey. Martin says Hoey’s back is lighter than most golfers’ carry. According to him, Hoey’s golf bag weighs only 25 lbs compared to the typical 40 lbs.

Martin’s impact on Rico Hoey’s game

Rico Hoey’s caddy is known for helping golfers maintain a positive mindset, and that’s what he is doing with him. “Everyone gets mad and upset or angry or whatever it is, you just gotta try to pull them back to know that they’re good enough to start a good stretch,” said Martin. Thanks to this positive mindset, he has had a significant impact on Hoey’s journey. Hoey nearly quit professional golf around 2021 because of injuries and performance struggles. He credits his girlfriend, Megan Mercado, and his coach Ross Fisher for encouraging him to persevere. Later, he got Martin on his bag in 2023.

Martin has been instrumental in keeping Hoey motivated and inspired. Their partnership has been highlighted during key events like the 2024 ISCO Championship, where Hoey nearly won. Also, Martin played a key role in Hoey’s climb from being ranked 3064 at the end of 2022 to breaking into the top 125 golfers globally by 2025. Rico Hoey has also recognized and appreciated his caddy’s efforts, saying wonderful things about him.

In December 2024, Hoey shared an Instagram post reflecting on the season. Speaking of the impact of having Martin, he wrote in the caption, “@bryanmartin__ , thanks for being a great addition to the team. I can honestly say that having you on the bag was a huge turning point to how this year turned out. Thank you to @goosecreekgolfclub for all the support. I can’t wait for what year 2 has to bring for us!”

At the end of the 2024 ISCO Championship, Rico Hoey revealed how his caddy helped him get into the right mindset. He was asked about his good run that started at Rocket Mortgage and continued at the John Deere Classic and the ISCO Championship. To this, Hoey gave credit to his coach Ross Fisher and Brian Martin.

He was then asked about the offensive golf played at the tournament. “My caddie, Brian, just told me go out there and just keep executing. There’s times where you’re going to keep parring out there, but don’t let it discourage you, let it happen and you’re going to catch on fire, so that’s what I did,” he said.

Bryan Martin’s lifestyle

Bryan Martin likes keeping his personal life private. There’s not much public information available about his lifestyle. In fact, he has only uploaded 3 Instagram posts since 2021. But from his earlier posts, it’s clear he likes spending time with his nephews, Phoenix and Roux. Besides that, there are some posts of beaches and outdoors, which go on to show that Rico Hoey’s caddy is someone who likes adventures.