After turning professional in 2017, former Clemson player Carson Young has claimed two titles, including a maiden victory on the Korn Ferry Tour at the 2022 Panama Championship.
He is yet to claim his maiden PGA Tour title, although that milestone was agonizingly close to being achieved in 2024 when he placed runner-up at the World Wide Technology Championship.
By then, William Lanier was established as Young’s full-time caddie, and he knew his boss well enough at the time to know when to take a step back.
In the second round, Young made a mesmerizing 61, and afterwards, Lanier explained his hands-off approach to Golfweek, saying: “My pencil was getting dull, but I was like, 'No, can’t change anything,'” Lanier said. “It was kind of like talking to a pitcher when he’s got a no-hitter going.”
It is perhaps not surprising that Lanier’s intuition guided him on that occasion, as he is a vastly experienced caddie with a long history in the game.
In fact, the Georgia native was a ball boy at the practice facility at Augusta National in high school, while he also played for LSU in college golf and later on mini-tours, predominantly the Hooters Tour.
Lanier returned to Augusta National at the 2008 Masters, although on that occasion, it was as a caddie for his former LSU teammate David Toms at the Masters.
In his long career, Lanier has caddied for a number of other players, including Curt Byrum. KJ Choi, Michael Boyd, Henrik Norlander, Mark Hubbard and Ben Crane. However, most of his success came with Wesley Bryan.
Lanier helped Byran to a victory on the Web.com Tour in 2016, while he was on his bag for his one PGA Tour win to date, when he beat Luke Donald by one at the 2017 RBC Heritage.
On that occasion, Bryan finished his final round not knowing if he had done enough to secure victory, something Lanier was acutely aware of.
As with Young seven years later, his awareness of the situation came to the fore with the way he congratulated Bryan… a head rub.
He explained to the Augusta Chronicle: "I intentionally did that. I wasn't going to give him a hug or a high five because I didn't want to do anything prematurely. It was a gesture of saying 'good round.' It was more than a handshake and less than a congratulatory hug."
With his vast experience, success and know-how, it’s little wonder that Lanier has also helped bring out the best in Young.
A year after his runner-up in Mexico, Young was again riding high in the World Wide Technology Championship, ultimately finishing T6, proving the partnership was still flourishing as the 2025 season began to draw to a close.
