Flying visit home for Tim Poyser before he's back to work at DP World Tour Q-School

Tim Poyser finally made it home to Edinburgh this week after a seven-week stint travelling around Europe in his job as a professional caddie - but it was only a flying visit.

Tim Poyser was on Euan Walker's bag at last week's Challenge Tour Grand Final in Mallorca but will be back caddying for David Horsey in the DP World Tour Qualifying School Fina, which starts in Tarragna on Friday. Picture: Octavio Passos/Getty Images.

“I’m just there for 12 hours and don’t care if it’s raining,” declared the 43-year-old with a smile of heading off again, with his next event being the toughest test of the year, both physically and mentally.

Poyser, a qualified PGA pro who has just been reinstated as an amateur and plays at Mortonhall, is travelling to Spain for the DP World Tour Qualifying School Final at Infinitum in Tarragona, where will be working for Englishman David Horsey.

“With six rounds, it’s a mental grind and it will also be a week when there’s not much socialising going on,” admitted Poyser of a marathon test that will see the top 25 and ties secure 2023 DP World Tour cards.

Tim Poyser was still trying to carve out a playing career when he played in a qualifier for PGA Assistants' Championship at Auchterarder in 2014 before turning his attention to becoming a full-time caddie. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images.

Four-time tour winner Horsey has occupied a seat at the top table for the past 14 seasons but is facing the Q-School examination along with former Ryder Cup players Stephen Gallacher and David Howell.

“I can see him getting it back after only narrowly losing it this year as he does everything right - he’s the absolute consummate professional - and it is so impressive to watch,” said Poyser of his current boss.

This is Poyser’s fifth year as a caddie, having started out with Connor Syme and working for various players, including 2014 Ryder Cupper Victor Dubuisson, before linking up with Horsey just under two years ago.

Last week, instead of making that journey home from Portugal, he headed to Mallorca to caddie for fellow Scot Euan Walker in the Challenge Tour Grand Final at Club de Golf Alcanada in Port d’Alcudia.

“I have never struggled to get a bag,” he declared of a job he clearly enjoys along with several others from in and around Edinburgh. “We’ve got a whatsapp group with eight or nine of us from south-east Scotland and we’ve had five wins on tour this year,” said Poyser.

“Stevie Neilson has had two with Ewen Ferguson, Mikey Thomson with Bob MacIntyre, Stu Beck with Adrian Meronk and Max Allison, who won with Kalle Samooja.

“Also, Stuart Davidson had a second place at Abu Dhabi with Shubhankar Sharma in January and has just had two thirds with Min Woo Lee, who is obviously a very exciting player. Yeah, I need to up my game (laughing).

“There’s as many guys from the west as well, but in our little group we all travel from Edinburgh airport, all stay together and it’s brilliant as we are all mates and hang out together back home. When Stevie won after Galgorm (where Ferguson landed his second success), we were all out for pints at noon on a Tuesday!”

When he’s at home for longer than just 12 hours, Poyser has another golf-related job. “I work part-time at golfclubs4cash at Loanhead, so, when I’m not out on tour, I will maybe do 15-20 hours a week up there and go and say ‘hi’ to the guys just to keep out some mischief and also earn some money,” he said. “They are doing fantastic and they are brilliant with me. And I really enjoy working there as well.”