Leeds loving caddie Billy Foster helped Tiger Woods with loo roll after serving fruitcake to Seve and now has his Major glory after emotional Matt Fitzpatrick victory

When Will Zalatoris’ putt skimmed the left edge at The Country Club on Sunday evening, one man was more overcome with joy than anyone else.

But it wasn’t new US Open champion and first-time Major winner Matt Fitzpatrick. Instead, it was another who broke his Major duck in Brookline - his caddie Billy Foster.

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The unassuming yet ingenious Foster has been on the bag for some of golf’s greats for nearly four decades but Major glory has always eluded him.

Foster has worked with the likes of Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros and Darren Clarke down the years but has never quite got over the line on the biggest stage.

That all changed at The Country Club on a magically Sunday for Fitzpatrick and his team.

As the luckless Zalatoris pushed his play-off-inducing effort just wide of the mark, the Yorkshire duo embraced before the tears started to flow.

One of the enduring images of the showpiece tournament will be Foster kissing the 18th flag once Fitzpatrick’s stunning win was signed and sealed.

And while Fitzpatrick revelled in his glory, Foster seemed the one overwhelmed.

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It’s been decades in the making for one of the most recognised caddies in the game.

Proud Leeds fan Foster has carried the clubs of a string of illustrious names and certainly has the stories to match.

During the 2002 Ryder Cup at the Belfry, Foster was caddying for Clarke in a doubles match with Thomas Bjorn against Woods and Paul Azinger.

Such are the nerves at a huge tournament like the Ryder Cup, the call of nature hit Foster just minutes before the first tee.

He retreated to the restrooms before realising he was joined by Woods himself who was caught short without any loo roll.

Foster, ever the gentleman, handed the 15-time Major winner some much-needed toilet paper under the cubicle door before exiting the facilities with a sign-off of ‘Europe 1 Up’ - a scoreline Clarke and Bjorn duly went on to secure.

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Years before, Foster was on the bag of another legend, one Severiano Ballesteros.

In a World Match-Play final in 1991, Ballesteros was battling Nick Price for glory when hunger pains hit him on the 13th.

Seve, trailing his rival and in need of refreshments, turned to Foster for aid. The caddie offered an under-ripe banana or a slice of good old British fruitcake.

The Spaniard scoffed the sweet treat but a crumb got lodged, causing him to splutter out a cough just as Price was hitting his effort towards the green.

The Zimbabwean shoved his shot into a bunker before glaring over at Seve.

Such was his embarrassment, Ballesteros offered to concede the hole to his rival but that was rebuffed. Foster then called on his man to concede a putt to tie the hole but Seve ignored him, with the ever-competitive star insisting he had already given Price the chance to make good.

The iconic player went on to win the final 3 and 2…

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Foster has had a knack of taking victory and defeat with great humility throughout his career.

Not one for great shows of emotion, seeing him more overcome than his boss Fitzpatrick on Sunday evening will stay imprinted on the minds’ of golf fans for years to come.

Upon finally clinching that elusive Major, Foster said: "It's unbelievably emotional. I'm glad someone has got that giant monkey off my back.

"It means a lot. Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Seve, they've had their chances over the years and (Thomas) Bjorn.

"I was caddying for him that day when he left it in the bunker at Sandwich [in 2003] and that really hurt. I thought about it for six months and it broke my heart. That has put a lot of bad memories to bed. It means everything.

"I knew Matt was good enough to win a major and this week he has played unbelievable and he's not putted his best, which is incredible really.

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"He did my head in missing a few short putts. He didn't need to win by four. One was enough."

Foster’s maiden Major was certainly worth the wait and with Fitzpatrick, the veteran caddie could have more to celebrate in the years to come.