Call it another setback for Tiger Woods, who announced Wednesday he had fired longtime caddie Steve Williams. That’s another loss from the inner circle of a man who was once the world’s best golfer and is struggling to find that form again.
Williams had Woods’ bag for 12 years and was his right-hand man through a brilliant period of golf that included six major victories out of nine between the 2000 and 2002 U.S. Opens and 12 overall. According to the Associated Press, the decision to end his professional relationship with Williams happened during the AT&T National golf tournament on July 3.
Why the delay of an official announcement? Out of respect for Adam Scott, whom Williams caddied for at the U.S. Open last month at Congressional and again at last week’s British Open. That, apparently, was an issue for Woods, who has always enjoyed an exclusive working relationship with Williams. But with his boss sidelined indefinitely with Achilles and knee issues, Williams asked permission to look for other work temporarily.
It’s yet another change for Woods, who has seen far too many since his notorious Thanksgiving Day driving incident outside his Orlando, Fla., area home. That led to the eventual disclosure of serial infidelity and a nasty, public divorce from wife, Elin. With his health a continuing issue — no decision has been made on when Tiger will return to the PGA Tour, if at all this season — Woods now must find a replacement for the man who helped him reach the pinnacle of golf. There won’t be a shortage of candidates. But there also won’t be someone who knows Woods as well as Williams did.
