Tiger Woods’ former long-term caddie has opened up on just what the golfing hero was really like once they stepped off the course
Tiger Woods’ former caddie, Steve Williams, recently revealed that the legendary golfer never failed to thank him after every round they played together. Williams was Wood’s bagman from 1999 to 2011.
He was by Woods’ side for 13 of the icon’s major victories. Speaking on the Tee It Up podcast in November, Williams revealed that the small but effective demonstration of manners from Woods took him by surprise at first.
“The thing that stood out for me more than anything when I first went to caddie for Tiger is that after every single round, good or bad, indifferent, whatever, ‘Thanks for your help today, Steve’”, Williams said.
“A lot of times when you are carrying for guys, and things don’t go well, and you have a bad day, they’d rather not see you. They don’t want to talk to you. But he was remarkable.” He added: “Every day, he thanked me for the job. And as a young guy under the pressure, that was the first. I couldn’t believe it.”
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The New Zealand-born caddie took over the role as Woods’ bag man three years into the American’s professional career. The pair went on to claim 63 victories on the PGA Tour together.
Despite a largely harmonious partnership, it all ended three years post Woods’ last big win at the 2008 US Open when the golfer decided to part ways with his trusty caddie.
Despite their success together, their relationship was occasionally tested. Williams has since opened up about giving Woods a very rare public dressing down during their time together on the golf course. Williams disclosed the details of a rare heated moment between them at the iconic Augusta course, on GOLF’s Subpar podcast.
“It was at the Masters,” Williams began. “I’d been out on the course early in the morning and knew where the tee placement was on the third hole. They’d moved the tee right up to the very front of which I’d never seen before.
“Easy to knock it on the green. He made a 4-4 start, it was automatic in my mind that he needed to hit a driver there. I couldn’t talk him into it and I did.
“He hit the worst shot he’s ever hit over the trees in the right [and] took a bogey which basically took him out of the tournament because the scoring average might have been 3.5 or 6 on that hole on that day.
“He didn’t say a word to me for the next five holes and going up the ninth hole, I dressed him down and gave him a speech he’d never heard before and that was the first and only major argument that we ever had.”
Following the end of his partnership with Woods, Williams spent seven years as Adam Scott’s caddie in two different stints. He also enjoyed brief spells working with LPGA star Danielle Kang and Jason Day.
