Billy Foster believes his former employer Darren Clarke can get back to his best after his long-awaited victory on the European Tour.

The Bingley caddy, now working for Sergio Garcia, was delighted that his good friend won his first major title in Shanghai last Sunday since 2003.

He said: "It's great for him to get the monkey off his back.

"He's had a lot of chances and sometimes you can try too hard. But now he's over the hurdle, his best golf could be around the corner."

It would only be natural for part of him to wish he was on the last green holding the pin when the Ulsterman sank a long birdie putt to clinch the BMW Asian Open, rather than watching from afar on TV.

Foster had been with Clarke at his lowest ebb and it would have been fitting had he been there to see his pal come out of the other end of the tunnel.

When Clarke broke down in tears on Foster's shoulders after beating Zach Johnson in the Ryder Cup, it became the enduring image of Europe's triumph in September 2006.

Clarke had done superbly to win all three matches despite his wife Heather's death from cancer just weeks earlier.

But the bereavement took its toll and Clarke's form dipped badly to the extent that he came 138th on last year's European Order of Merit.

Foster admits it was a tough decision to make the split and join Garcia at the start of this year but it was too good an opportunity to miss.

The 42-year-old is sharing bag-carrying duties for the Spaniard with South African Glen Murray.

Such an arrangement means Foster, used to living so much of his life out of suitcase, gets to spend more time with his family.

He said: "I have two kids aged seven and five and this enables me to spend a lot more quality time with them.

"There may come a time when I want to go back caddying more often, which it probably will eventually, but for now I am giving this a go."

He remains on good terms with Clarke and will caddy for him at Loch Lomond in the Scottish Open. But he admits the time was right for them to end their second spell together.

"It was time for a change. I think both of us needed a bit of freshness. Darren was struggling for a long time. I feel I helped him come through the worst and it's great to see him turning the corner. We're still good friends."

In terms of results, Foster admits his new link-up with Garcia has been "fairly average" so far.

The Spaniard would appear to be suffering from a hangover after leading the Open on the final day last year but missing out to Padraig Harrington.

He and Foster returned home early from last month's Masters having missed the cut but the Bingley St Ives member believes a return to form could soon be on the cards.

"He is playing lovely and not scoring. His putting is letting him down. But I think it's a question of when and not if. He is not far away."

Foster is set to link up in America with the world no 17 again later this month for the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village as Garcia builds up to the US Open at Torrey Pines.

The fact that someone of the Spaniard's class wanted Foster on his bag is an indication of how highly he is rated in the game.

He has even been linked with a move to caddy for Tiger Woods after impressing the world number one when he stepped in for Woods' regular caddy Steve Williams during the 2005 President's Cup.

Not surprisingly, Foster would jump at the chance if he was offered it but he insists there is no substance in the speculation.

"I'm sure if you asked ten million blokes, they'd all say they'd want it. I have a laugh with Tiger out on the course and tell him I've bought a big house because I've heard I'm going to be his caddy!

"But there is no truth in the rumour."