MOST folk will still harbour a fairly stereotypical view of the humble, Scottish caddie. Perhaps it’s of a slightly hunched, shuffling fella called wee Geordie who has a craggy face that resembles a disused quarry and delivers throaty, whispering pearls of rasping golfing wisdom through gently billowing plumes of fag reek as he peers knowingly at the subtle borrows on the sixth green.

Of course, the reality, in the upper echelons of this Royal & Ancient game, is slightly different. “I bought myself a dream car, a BMW M3,” said Kevin McAlpine, the former Scottish Amateur and caddie of the world No 2 Lexi Thompson. “Not so long ago, it would’ve taken me b****y years to get a car like that so let’s just say I appreciate it.”

McAlpine can afford it too. In a whirlwind year and a bit on the bag of Thompson, McAlpine has helped his boss win two LPGA titles while racking up a series of highly profitable finishes.

Thompson made close to $2 million on the lucrative circuit last season. It’s fair to say that McAlpine got a bit more than a robust handshake and a tenner tip for his efforts.

This week in California, McAlpine and Thompson will be seeking redemption at the first major of the season, the ANA Inspiration, at Rancho Mirage.

It was here 12 months ago, that Thompson, who won this same crown in 2014, was involved in a rules rumpus which caused an almighty, tear-stained kerfuffle and, ultimately, led to the powers-that-be changing the golfing laws on TV viewer call-ins and retrospective penalties.

Leading the field heading into the closing stretch of the final round, Thompson was informed that she was being penalised for a ball-marking infringement that happened the previous day after a review of television footage.

Amid the general chaos and confusion, she was given a four-stroke penalty and, while she still battled her way into a play-off, Thompson eventually lost to So-yeon Ryu.

The palaver divided opinion. Many leapt to Thompson’s defence. Others branded her a cheat. Whatever way you look at it, both Thompson and McAlpine have some unfinished business this week.

“I don’t think it is preying on her mind but obviously the trouble will come from people and the media going over it again,” said McAlpine, who had been working with Thompson for a just a couple of weeks when he was plunged into the controversial spotlight.

“The problem for me is that I’m trying not to mention anything from last year. Usually when you go back to a course you say things like ‘remember you hit a good drive here’ or ‘we used this club there’ but I’m trying not mention any of that so we can draw a line under it.

“Lexi is in good shape and good spirits. If she can get through this week with a solid performance that will set her up for the season. Ideally, we’ll be in contention come Sunday.”

As the son of the celebrated former Dundee United goalkeeper, McAlpine is well used to people saying, “oh aye, you’re Hamish’s boy”.

The moustachioed, penalty-taking custodian may not be as well-kent in the far off lands of the USA as he is the auld haunts o’ hame and McAlpine junior is now becoming recognised in other ways.

“My title has changed a bit now and instead of son of the former Dundee United goalkeeper, I’m either known as Lexi’s caddie or Anna’s boyfriend,” he said.

The Anna in question is Anna Nordqvist, the two-time major winner from Sweden who went head-to-head with Thompson during a shoot-out for the ages on the final day of the Solheim Cup last year. McAlpine has almost assumed the role of a double agent. At this rate, he’ll be getting a call from the counterintelligence unit.

“I’m not going to make a decision for Lexi that’s going to help Anna win, that just won’t happen,” he declared. “It’s pretty easy to separate our professional and private lives. That Solheim Cup singles between them ended in a half. It was probably the best outcome for me. I kept my job and my girlfriend.”

McAlpine’s life is pretty good just now and the golfing success Thompson has enjoyed, and the financial rewards that come with it, has provided plenty of personal satisfaction away from the course.

“It’s been life changing,” he said. “I would never have met Anna and I wouldn’t be living in Orlando if I hadn’t been working with Lexi. I wouldn’t have that car either.

“I’ll pay mum and dad the money back they invested in me to come to college in the US. I also had three of my friends over from Alyth recently. We played golf, we had some beers and it was nice to help them to come here and just pay for stuff. Just over a year ago, I would never have dreamed of being able to do that.”