Who is Tony Finau's caddie? Meet Mark Urbanek

Before August 2021, Tony Finau held the record for the most top-10 finishes in four years without a win, but at The Northern Trust, Finau ended it thanks to his caddie Mark Urbanek.

Having only won once in seven years from making his PGA Tour debut in 2014, the Puerto Rico Open in 2016, Finau went on to win five titles in less than two years with new caddie Urbanek.

Caddie changes

Finau’s longtime looper was Gregory Bodine, who caddied for him since his rookie season on the PGA Tour in 2014-15 and now caddies for U.S. Open champion and LIV Golf star, Bryson DeChambeau.

They initially came into contact as Bodine would travel to golf events with his cousins Andrew and Michael Putnam, who are professional golfers.

In 2014, Bodine heard Finau was in need of a caddie and so he took a chance and DM'd him on social media.

Finau accepted the offer and the pair were successful early on when the big-hitting American went on win the 2016 Puerto Rico Open.

However, after six years together, their partnership eventually ended.

Finau said of Bodine: "We were together for six years, and it’s a tough thing, you know, on a personal level, I love the guy, and on a business level, I felt it was time for a change in my situation and something just different."

Then in 2020, Mark Urbanek took up the full-time role as Finau's caddie. 

Who is Tony Finau's caddie, Mark Urbanek?

Mark Urbanek has been caddying for Finau for almost five years, beginning at the 2020 PGA Championship.

Urbanek grew up in Princeton, New Jersey and played college golf at William and Mary in Virginia and even shot 62 to win his home course club championship.

Career and experience

Urbanek had previously caddied for Tour pros James Hahn, Matt Davidson and Charlie Wi.

Just like Finau, Urbanek is yet to win a major.

He and Finau came closest at the 2024 US Open when finishing tied for third, two shots behind winner DeChambeau.

Before Finau employed Urbanek, he was criticised for his lack of titles despite having the talent to perform against the very top players.

But since working with Urbanek, he has won five times on the PGA Tour.

Salary and earnings

Since partnering together in 2020, Finau has earned roughly $28m on the PGA Tour before bonuses and unofficial payouts.

Therefore, if we use the 10-7-5 method, where players pay caddies depending on if they win, finish in the top 10 or make the cut, we can assume Urbanek has earned roughly $1.5m.

Notable moments

In 2022, Urbanek had to travel home to be with his pregnant wife, so Finau was left without a caddie for the Hero World Challenge.

He decided to call upon his childhood friend from Salt Lake City, Utah, Ryan Smith who is a billionaire businessman who owns the NBA franchise Utah Jazz. 

Smith has a net worth of $2.6 billion, according to Forbes.

Smith revealed how Finau asked him to be his looper for the event: "He called me, and he's like, 'Bro, I need you to caddie for me.' I had to answer the bell, right? When Tony calls, you go. He doesn't ask for a lot. But hauling a 50-pound bag around... I think everyone thinks I'm on vacation. This is hard work. I'm exhausted."

Finau knew his old friend was doing him a favour, joking: "He's taking an extreme pay cut, I know that."

Personal life and social media

Urbanek hasn’t posted on his Instagram account (@murbanek62) since 2023, but when he does, his posts mainly centre around his family and life on Tour.

He has been married since December 2020 and has a daughter named Prescott.

The looper is a fan of baseball and American football, supporting the New York Mets and Jets.

He told The Caddie Network that if he had to pick another career, he would choose a physical trainer because he enjoys motivating people.