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Matt Kuchar has issued an apology and says he will pay a temporary caddie in full after his victory in the Mayakoba Golf Classic last November.
The American golfer, 40, defended his decision to pay $5,000 (£3,900) to local caddie David Ortiz, who stepped in for regular caddie John Wood.
World number 22 Kuchar collected a winner’s cheque for $1.3m (£1.01m).
Caddies can usually expect to receive up to 10% depending on their arrangement with the player.
Ortiz is reported to have asked for $50,000 (about £39,000), rather than 10% of the first prize.
“This week, I made comments that were out of touch and insensitive, making a bad situation worse,” Kuchar said in a statement after he was reportedly heckled in the first round of the rain-delayed Genesis Open on Friday.
“They made it seem like I was marginalising David Ortiz and his financial situation, which was not my intention. I read them again and cringed.
“That is not who I am and not what I want to represent. In this situation, I have not lived up to those values or to the expectations I’ve set for myself.
“I let myself, my family, my partners and those close to me down, but I also let David down.
“I plan to call David, something that is long overdue, to apologise for the situation he has been put in, and I have made sure he has received the full total that he has requested.”
