The relationship between a professional golfer and their caddie is one of the most intricate and fascinating dynamics in all of sports. Together for hours, whether on the practice ground or on the course, they navigate pressure, strategy, and the unpredictable nature of the game. In an exclusive interview for our Beyond Par series, seasoned NBC Sports’ broadcaster Cara Banks told us why she believes this is a topic that deserves a closer look.
Beyond Par: Cara Banks interview
When asked who she would choose to host a new segment with, and what topic she’d cover, Banks shared her desire to explore the player-caddie relationship. She said she’d love to have a couple of caddies on to discuss this intimate part of the game, which she believes is often hidden from view.
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“I’d like to learn more about the inside-the-ropes conversation between the player and the caddie,” Banks said. “How much the player relies on the caddie, how much control the caddie takes… there’s a lot of kind of insider trading, if you like, that goes on between them.”
Banks is always looking to get a deeper understanding of the people behind the swings. She also shared her perspective on a player who is often misunderstood by the public: Tyrrell Hatton. He’s known for his often fiery on-course demeanour, however, Banks insists the player’s public persona is far from the whole story.
Cara Banks interviews Scottie Scheffler during the final round of the BMW Championship 2025
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“Someone who I always say is totally different to how he’s perceived on the golf course is Tyrrell Hatton,” she explained. “He’s obviously a bit hot-headed on the golf course sometimes, and he’s the first one to admit that. But off the golf course, he is the most lovely, chilled, down-to-earth, likeable guy. It’s an alter ego that comes and goes, often met with laughter and self-awareness after the round.”
This is a great example of Banks’ belief that building relationships with players and their teams is essential for her job, as it’s how she gets a true sense of who they are beyond their public image.
“It’s definitely helpful to have a relationship with players and their teams because I’m asking them for something,” Banks said, referring to post-round interviews. These connections help her secure interviews and arrange special segments like “walk and talks” on the course. While a formal broadcast rights holder will always get interviews, she says, the personal connections are what enable her to get more candid and compelling content for her audience.
In fact, she considers Justin Rose’s caddie, Mark “Fooch” Fulcher, to be her closest friend on tour. The friendship grew between the two families, as Banks and her husband, who also works in the industry, connected with Fooch through their shared English heritage and their families living in Florida. Banks recounted a memorable moment at this year’s Masters when she celebrated Fooch’s 60th birthday, a week that unexpectedly ended with Rose in a playoff.
Cara Banks considers caddie Mark Fulcher as one of her closest friends on tour
(Image credit: Getty Images)
While building these personal relationships is a core part of her work, live broadcasting is often at the heart of Banks’ job and it’s a world she had to master quickly after moving to the US. This transition from her role in the UK revealed not only the different demands of live TV but also a unique, often strange, duality of covering live events.
Banks shared that she wasn’t doing much live programming for Golfing World at Sky Sports in the UK, so her move to NBC’s Golf Channel in 2015 meant a fast learning curve into the format. She also had to quickly learn the different vocabulary, explaining that what she once called a “running order” was a “rundown” in the US, and a “gallery” was a “control room.”
This behind-the-scenes perspective provides a window into the often-unseen side of sports broadcasting, where being at an event doesn’t always mean you’re a spectator. Banks recalled a strange moment at the 2017 Open where she was walking with Rory McIlroy’s group for BBC radio while Jordan Spieth was winning the championship in dramatic fashion following his infamous driving range drop.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“I’m talking all about Rory, and I’m hearing what’s happening, but I’m not seeing any of this unfold,” she said. “It’s just weird in this role and industry sometimes, how you can be so close but not actually watching what’s going on.”
However, she’s also had the privilege of being right in the centre of the action. Banks described being stood on the 18th green when J.J Spaun made his 64-foot birdie putt to win the US Open. She was also there for Rory McIlroy’s big win at THE PLAYERS Championship on a Monday, a victory which she believes set him up for a strong year. These are the moments that make live broadcasting so special for her.
