Global Golf Post - July 25, 2011

MIKE PURKEY

Look, on the PGA Tour, there are two types of caddies: those who have been fired and those who are waiting to be. So, before we get all breathless about Tiger Woods kicking Steve Williams to the curb, remember that nothing on Tour lasts forever.

You ride the hot streak as long as you can and when it all starts going south, which it always does, you make a change. Just like in team sports, you can’t fire the players, so you do the next logical thing: You fire the caddie.

Except Steve Williams adopted the one attitude you cannot afford in matters such as these. He took it personally. As they say in Texas, it ain’t personal, son; it’s just bidness.

Needless to say, Stevie is running hot about getting the sack and he’s letting everybody know it. For a guy who didn’t talk to the press at all when he was Tiger’s man, he certainly is taking his message to the airwaves and he’s not being the least bit restrained.

“Basically, you could say that I wasted the last two years of my life,” he told New Zealand television.

That coming from a man who has become a millionaire carrying a golf bag for a living. He hasn’t hit one shot in competition on the PGA Tour. David Feherty always said that Williams, when he was in Tiger’s employ, was one bad club selection away from slinging luggage at LaGuardia.

Nevertheless, Williams feels he has
been badly treated in exchange for his
loyalty. When Tiger’s transgressions were
being made public, many eyes turned to-
ward Williams as being duplicitous. Woods
could not possibly have juggled as many
dalliances as advertised without someone’s
help keeping things secret. Williams was
thought of as Tiger’s aide de camp.

at the U.S. Open and the AT&T and he received it. So, apparently that wasn’t the cause for dumping Williams.

Neither Williams nor Woods revealed what was said at Aronimink and that’s just as well. However, Williams did say that he was not satisfied with Woods’ reasons for letting him go. And, he was asked by New Zealand radio whether the split was amicable.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Williams said. “I
wouldn’t say that at all.”
Now comes the demolition derby of
speculation concerning who will be Woods’
next caddie. Navarro’s name is near the
top of the list, as is Ricci Roberts. Navarro
not only worked for Scott, but was Greg
Norman’s man for a number of years when
Norman was No. 1 in the world. Roberts
was employed long-term by Ernie Els until
they decided to take some time apart.

One name tossed out is Terry McNamara, who was Annika Sorenstam’s caddie for a number of years. McNamara is said to have both the experience and the temperament to handle a situation such as having Tiger as a boss.

Regardless, it’s going to take a special personality to take Woods’ bag. Whoever it is will have to be firm inside the ropes and quiet outside. The man who preceded Williams was Mike (Fluff) Cowan, who was hired away from Peter Jacobsen when Woods joined the Tour, and was fired after

a couple of seasons when Cowan was giving interviews and doing commercials. Woods doesn’t want anyone on his team getting more attention than he does.

Williams maintains that after his career is over, he will write a book. And the Woods years will make for “an interesting chapter,” he says. Odds are, if such a book is to be written, the Woods years will be more than one chapter.

Don’t feel the least bit sorry for Williams. He has plenty of money, unless he’s spent it all driving race cars. And he has a job. The gig with Scott has become permanent. Still, Williams is feeling like the caddie scorned and will be for some time. He was asked if he was disappointed.