Bingley's Billy Foster flies out to South Africa on Saturday to begin his 23rd year as a globe-trotting professional caddie.

After making his name with Seve Ballesteros, he went on to further enhance his reputation with Thomas Bjorn and Darren Clarke.

Foster has been dubbed the best caddie in the world but when asked about his lofty status, he said: "Really? It must have been my dad that said that."

Foster, who plays a mean game himself, is joining Clarke for the South African Airways Open which starts on January 20.

The Northern Irishman pulled out of the Nelson Mandela Invitational and the Nedbank Golf Challenge, both in South Africa, in November after discovering his wife Heather was suffering from cancer.

However, the 36-year-old Ryder Cup star is sufficiently satisfied with Heather's progress and recent medical reports that he is ready to return for the new season.

Foster and Clarke were reunited last year after 18 months apart.

The Ryder Cup star had unwisely decided he wanted a change of caddie after seven and a half years. At the time, Clarke said it was the most difficult telephone call of his life to end the partnership.

A few months earlier, Foster had helped Europe pull off a thrilling victory over America in the Ryder Cup - while caddying for Clarke.

But the split was not the end of the world for Foster, who promptly forged a partnership with Danish star Thomas Bjorn.

At the World Match Play Championships in October, 2003, Bjorn holed in one at Wentworth, thanks to some fine club selection by the Bingley caddie.

Bjorn won a £37,000 Toyota Land Cruiser for that one shot - and immediately gave it away to Foster. "He just turned to me and said 'have it Billy, it's yours'.

"To be fair, I had been pestering him about the same model car for a couple of weeks. Toyota sponsored the competition and I was trying to do a deal on one of their courtesy cars which they were selling off. It was a very generous gesture by Thomas."

Now Foster is looking forward to a lucrative 2005 with Clarke. "Darren finished off last year really well and probably played some of the best golf I have seen him play," said Foster.

"But I am probably not as enthusiastic as I used to be.

"It is difficult. I have a young family and the demands of travel after 22 years of doing it wears a bit thin at the end. You get sick of leaving your family behind."

A sense of humour can help while touring. At the US PGA tournament at Whistling Straits last year, things did not go to plan. After a storming first round, Foster and Clarke had a costly mix-up.

Clarke was first-round leader when the wheels dropped off at the long 11th. Clarke used the wrong TV tower as a guide for the green and ended up 50 yards to the right in the rough.

"I told him to aim at the TV tower behind the green," said Foster. "He hit a lovely shot but I thought, 'why is he aiming 50 yards to the right'. He'd gone for the wrong tower."

And at the Volvo Masters, disaster struck again - this time at the long 17th when Clarke was again tournament leader. Ten per cent of the £432,000 first prize looked a distinct possibility for the caddy until that hole loomed up large.

"Darren spun three balls into the water," said Foster. "He set a new record for the amount of money a man can spend in the shortest possible time. But you take a lot of knocks in golf. It is just a case of how you bounce back.

"I am enjoying my time back with Darren and he has improved. Hopefully we can have a good season."

Foster has no regrets about not having had a go at becoming a professional player.

"When I was young I thought it would be nice. But reality soon hits home. I have played with Darren quite a few times around Sawgrass in America - and it made me look like a 12-handicapper.

"There is a massive difference between being a scratch golfer at home and

playing the difficult courses from the back tees!"