Tiger's caddy of 12 years spoke out earlier this morning, about being let go at Tiger's AT&T tourney several week's ago, for the first time, from his home in Wellington, New Zealand..
Wellington, New Zealand — Steve Williams says he wasted the last two years of his life standing by Tiger Woods through injuries and eruptions in the golfer's private life.
In frank interviews about his dismissal published Friday in his native New Zealand, the 47-year-old caddie said he had lost “a tremendous amount of respect” for the game's biggest star.
Williams told the New Zealand Herald “realistically I could look back, and I've wasted the last two years of my life because he's played infrequently, he's been injured and played poorly. I was prepared to hang in there through thick and thin,” Williams said, “so I find the timing extraordinary.”
Williams said he had no idea he was going to be fired after a dozen years as Woods' caddie until Woods called him to a meeting at the AT&T National tournament two weeks ago.
“Sometimes you get an inkling that something's going to happen ... And I basically didn't have much to say with him. I was somewhat in a state of shock, but I just listened to what he thought,” Williams told the Herald. “I didn't agree with what he was telling me but at the end of the day that wasn't going to make a difference so I just took it on the chin.”
Williams told the newspaper he was not upset at being fired, but at its timing and after his staunch loyalty to Woods' during the upheaval in his private life.
“I understand that's part of the game ... To be let go after staying incredibly loyal during the most difficult time in his life and then for him to decide that he needs a change, I think that the timing has been very poor,” he said. “When Tiger went through the Tiger scandal, as it's known, I was obviously very disappointed in him, as everyone was. Obviously I lost a tremendous amount of respect for him ... and I told him that he had to earn back my respect. Whatever respect he may have earned back, he's just lost.”
Williams said he had not spoken to Woods since their working relationship was terminated. In a separate interview with Television New Zealand, Williams said he felt his loyalty to Woods had not been repaid.
“I'm a very big stickler for loyalty and I stuck with Tiger through his difficult period when a lot of people thought I should have left his side,” he said. “That was the most difficult period that I've ever been through in my life. I'm pretty hardheaded and took it probably a lot better than my wife and family did, but there's no way that I should have been put through that.”
Williams said he felt like he'd been considered guilty by association after sticking with Woods during the scandal. “My name should have been cleared immediately. It wasn't and that's what makes it even more disappointing what's transpired.” he told TVNZ. “I never really got pardoned from that scandal so the timing of it is extraordinary. You could say I've wasted two years of my life.”
Williams also repeated his previous assertions he had no knowledge of Woods' extramarital affairs. “I had no idea what was going on and that was the hardest part ... it was a difficult time,” he told the New Zealand Herald. “I'm a straight-up person, I'm a loyal person — if I knew something, then I'd say I did.”
Williams is often described as New Zealand's highest-paid sportsman — a definition stretched to encompass the caddie who may have banked around US$9 million during his association with Woods. He operates a charitable foundation which makes regular donations to an Auckland children's hospital and is highly respected by New Zealanders.
Williams has been caddying all his life including 10 years with Ray Floyd, and time with Greg Norman.. FYI here is the way he tells his story on Kiwicaddie.co.nz
From the age of ten I spent all my weekends caddying at my home club of Paraparaumu Beach. My days would often include 36 holes of caddying and practising until dark myself. Despite getting to as low as a two handicap by the age of thirteen I found myself enjoying caddying more than playing.
In 1976 my Father arranged for me to caddy for Australian great Peter Thomson in the New Zealand Open, which was held at Wellington Golf Club. Peter finished third and was amazed at my skill level as a Caddy despite being only thirteen years old. From that week on I knew I wanted to be a professional golf caddy. I continued to caddy for Peter when he played in New Zealand and I would travel to Australia in the school holidays to caddy in some tournaments. During my trips to Australia I would quiz as many caddies as I could to learn what the World of Professional Caddying involved.
With my savings from Caddying at Paraparaumu I headed to the European tour in 1979 and began my career as a caddy. From 1979 to 1988 I caddied on the European tour, Asian tour, Japanese tour and Australasian tour. During this time I caddied for Australian pros Mike Clayton, Terry Gale and Ian Baker-Finch. It was during this time I met Greg Norman and from 1982 I caddied for Greg in all his Australian and Asian events as well as some European events. In 1988 I moved to the United States and would work full time for Greg. Sadly this arrangement despite great success would only last midway through 1989.
Fortunately I joined Ray Floyd immediately after and would enjoy ten great years with Raymond. During the 1999 Doral Open I received a phone call from Tiger Woods enquiring whether I would be interested in caddying for him. Whilst it was an easy decision to join Tiger it was a difficult one to leave Raymond who was like a father to me.
Williams is now caddying fulltime for Aussie Adam Scott.
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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