Catching Tiger by the tale
We all see Tiger Woods so frequently, we think we know him, but we don’t.
Players share the same locker room with Tiger, but they barely know him because he rarely uses a tournament locker room.
Writers get inside the ropes and interview Tiger, but they are privy only to what Tiger allows.
It’s one thing to share a locker room or walk inside the ropes with Tiger. It’s something completely different to carry the man’s bag.
Outside of immediate family, no one knows Tiger better than his caddie for the past decade, Steve Williams.
Williams recently granted a rare interview, which appeared in Partners Magazine. Here it is. Enjoy some insight on the world’s great golfer and arguably the world’s greatest caddie.
By Zack Hall
PGA TOUR Partners Magazine
Steve Williams sits in a quiet corner of Sunriver Resort’s main lodge, offering little indication to passers-by that he is the most famous caddie in the world. Williams is gazing out a window at a golf course with Oregon’s snow-capped Cascade Mountains in the background.
Williams has spent every summer working full time as a caddie since he was 15. And that could explain why he looks bored. Last year was a strange time for Williams. His boss, Tiger Woods, won the 2008 U.S. Open on a bad leg in June and was shelved for the rest of the year; and the New Zealand native suddenly had the summer off.
Partners Magazine caught up with Williams near his summer home in Sunriver, a pristine mountain resort town about 180 miles southeast of Portland, where he spent most of the summer in 2008.
Asked when the last time he spent a summer away from golf, Williams replies with a laugh: “Ah, never.”
But last summer he temporarily traded in his front-seat view of golf history for less-glamorous tasks. He redesigned the paint scheme for the Saloon and Super Saloon stock car race team he owns in New Zealand, and worked with the Steve Williams Foundation, his New Zealand charity similar to the Tiger Woods Foundation, that aids youth golfers.
Williams also spent his summer pitching the effectiveness of the ProPlay Glove and Grip Fitting System, which won a 2008 “Top Gear of the Year Award.” The system ensures the proper grip by matching the colored markings on the ProGlove with those on the ProGrip, and is available at most golf retail shops or by visiting www.proplayna.com.
Despite a reputation for the occasional run-in with fans or photographers, Williams is easy-going and friendly. The avid runner is in remarkable shape, and the smile behind his trademark big white teeth masks a work ethic that nearly matches that of his boss—which is one reason Williams and Woods have become such close friends, he says.
Williams started his career looping for Australian great and family friend Peter Thomson. And he caddied for Raymond Floyd and Greg Norman before hooking up with Woods in 1999. So his up-close view of the greatest golfer of this generation isn’t lost on Williams.
Williams was seriously considering retirement when Woods called nearly a decade ago. And although he still thinks about the time when he will hang up the bag, that day is not yet at hand.
We asked Williams about his eventual retirement and when that may be, what his favorite Tiger Woods moments are, and about the times he has overruled his boss on the golf course. [Hint: One of them came at a critical point in the 2008 U.S. Open].
We found the 45-year-old relaxed and open to all questions, unless the question pertained to how much money he makes looping for the world’s greatest golfer.
How did you got hooked up with Tiger?
Players change caddies frequently, and back in ’99 Tiger decided that he was going to get a new caddie. He asked a few people and my name was thrown out. I was caddying for Raymond Floyd at the time. I was familiar with Tiger—we had played practice rounds at Augusta with him—so we knew each other.
How did your first tournament with him turn out?
It was at Bay Hill, and he made the cut on the mark. There was an amateur playing in the event that made the cut. Had that amateur not made the cut, Tiger would have missed the cut. And he played poorly on the weekend. I don’t recall where he finished [T56], but it was the tail end of the field. To this day we joke about a particular shot he hit that week, which was one of the worst shots I’ve seen from a pro. Every time we come to that hole we joke about it. It was quite funny.
Were there any awkward moments early on in the relationship?
Not really. We hit it off pretty good straight away. When you work for somebody like Tiger, who is one of the best ever, you certainly want to get off to a good start. He played pretty ordinary by his standards the first two weeks we were together. I was joking with him, “Hey, you’re overrated here.” I started with him in February and we got our first win in May [at the Duetsche Bank Open-TPC of Europe]. Then we came back and won the next tournament [the Memorial Tournament] in the States. The rest has been history.
Do you remember your first major win with him?
It was the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah. When you caddie for someone you want to show him or her you can handle the pressure of winning. So to win a major in our first year, if there were any turning points, that was probably one of them.
When did you know that you had won his confidence?
Probably after the ’99 PGA. We had a par putt on the par-3 17th hole at Medinah on Sunday, and his read was a little different from my read. I sort of assured him that my read was the right read. And it was a putt to stay one ahead of Sergio Garcia, and he holed the putt. It was about a six- or seven-foot, left-to-right putt, downhill. That was where I gained the initial trust.
When did your relationship go from player/caddie to best friends?
Tiger would tell you this himself—I’m the only person, with the exception of his father, who knows how to read his mind. I would make it very clear to anybody aspiring to be a caddie not to become too friendly with the professional you are working for. Tiger and I both think alike and both have the same kind of work ethic and the same desires. He has seen me in my sport [auto racing] and how I operate, which is probably very similar to how he operates in golf. We just became friends. You just spark a special relationship and you become friends.
Does that relationship get strained during a round?
No. One of the important things is that you have to know when it is time to be friends and when it is time to work. Those are two different moments, and you have to know how to distinguish those. It has never been an issue.
Is that helped by Tiger’s business-like approach?
Absolutely. An important part of being a caddie is knowing when it’s golf and when it’s time to have a little fun. When you are walking down the fairway between a lot of the shots, you have to keep your guy loose. That’s when the friendship side comes into play. But when it actually comes time to make a decision on club selection or whatever it might be, you need to know when to turn the switch on and off. It’s very important.
What is your relationship like off the course? He takes a lot of weeks off. Do you have any responsibilities to him on those off-weeks?
Everyone has a different way that they approach things. I told Tiger when I first caddied for him, “I’m only going to be involved with you when you are playing golf.” I know a lot of caddies spend time on their weeks off with their pros, but I like to keep things fresh. For me, on my weeks off, I go motor racing about every week when I’m not caddying. Every time I go to a golf tournament I feel really fresh and ready to go. Of course, I live in New Zealand and he lives in Orlando. It’s not like I am next door.
Are you on a yearly salary?
I don’t think any caddie is on salary. It’s not that type of job.
What did you do with your extended time off?
It’s quite amazing how time goes quickly. I have been spending a lot of time organizing stuff for my foundation, and then I’ve spent a little time organizing my race program. I actually sat down and designed a new paint scheme for my race cars. I’ve had a little time to tinker with a few things. Once September rolled around, that’s when the race season started in New Zealand. You race on every possible week, so time goes by quickly.
The joke, you know, was after Tiger announced he wouldn’t play for the rest of this year, the other caddies took up a collection for you, except they passed around a teacup. Do you sense jealously from some of the caddies?
It’s the same in any sport. I’m involved in racing, and I follow racing more than I follow golf. People are always envious of the person who’s winning. It’s a human-nature thing. I don’t usually use the word “jealousy.” I think people are envious. And that is just a fact of sport. Obviously, Tiger has been a terrific winner over his career, and a lot of people would be very envious. I am sure a lot of players are envious of Tiger’s record. So that is something you have got to deal with, and that is something that is out there in all sports.
How many times during a round do you overrule—which might be a bad word—Tiger on club selection or the break of a putt?
We have such a good relationship that we discuss things properly. I’ll never stand there knowing that he has the wrong club in his hand. That’s just not my nature. He’ll know how many times I’ve cut him off shots, or backed him off, or I stood by what I think. You are not always right, but my job is a caddie and his a player and he has the final say. But I am never going to stand there knowing that he has the wrong club in his hand. That just doesn’t happen. It might not be the right thing, but it has always helped me.
Was there one incident, talking him out of something, that stands out in your mind?
Unquestionably, the 18th hole at the U.S. Open last year at Torrey Pines. In my 30 years of caddying, I’ll never forget it. It was the decision on the 72nd hole. We needed to make [birdie] four to get into the playoff. Tiger hit it in the fairway trap [off the tee], and then hit a poor shot out of the fairway trap into the rough on the right with no shot to a front-right pin. If we had 10 balls, he would only get one close. It was a yardage that called for a sand wedge, and I convinced him hit a 60-degree club instead. It was 101 yards, and he hits his 60-degree club about 84 yards. And I made him hit that club. I had a feeling he could hit that club that distance, even though everything was telling me that he couldn’t. You could see, if you watched on TV, we spent a long time discussing the shot because he wanted to hit another club. I just believed that the shot he was trying to hit, he would never get it close without a bit of luck. I believed that any chance he had was with a 60. Of course, it turned out that was the right play. There have been other instances, but that one stands out considering the situation: the U.S. Open, last hole, Torrey Pines—a course that Tiger loves—and he’s playing on a bad knee. I could probably caddie for another 30 years and won’t get something as memorable as that.
You’ve caddied for some great players like Raymond Floyd and Greg Norman. What’s in Tiger that makes him stand head and shoulders above them all?
It’s his desire to win and his ability to play his best when it means the most. That is something very uncommon in athletes. I equate Tiger to Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Muhammad Ali. I would put them all in a league of their own. And the fact that they have been able to play at their very best level when it means the most, that’s not something you can teach somebody. It’s a special trait that that person has. And that is what separates Tiger. His desire to win is like nothing I have ever seen. And his ability to play his best when it means the most, it’s a very intimidating factor. People know when they are playing with Tiger on a Sunday that he isn’t going to roll over. You actually have to go out and beat this guy. There are a lot of players who seem to struggle a little under the situation and don’t win every time they’ve got a chance. Very seldom does Tiger not win when he has a chance, and people know that.
What’s the best shot you saw Tiger hit?
The fairway bunker shot on the 18th that he hit [with a 3-iron from 200 yards away] at Hazeltine when the PGA was there [in 2002; Woods lost to Rich Beem by one stroke]. Also, the one in Canada at the [2000 Bell] Canadian Open [a 6-iron from a fairway bunker over water to reach the 18th green in two shots] when it was at Glen Abbey. We beat Grant Waite, a fellow Kiwi, who we were playing with.
Worst shot?
It was the shot at Bay Hill in 1999. On the 13th hole we had about 80 yards to the hole, with a pretty easy hole location, and he managed to hit a sand wedge about 100 yards in length and about 20 yards left. It was shocking [laughs].
Most memorable Tiger moment for you?
It would be hard to say. I’ve always had this dream about caddying for the player who wins the British Open at St. Andrews, because I love the place. So when I had the opportunity to do that in 2000, that was something that really stuck out in my mind. And when Tiger won at Hoylake [2006 British Open] after his father passed away. That was pretty big. And, of course, last year’s U.S. Open. I’ll never forget those three weeks, but I think the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines was probably—and I mean for any sports fan—that was a pretty remarkable week.
You’ve been in a few scuffles with the fans in which some have depicted you as a bully. Does that bother you?
Not a bit. Those people who I have had incidents with or have been labeling me as a bully, if they would come and spend an entire week working with Tiger and myself, and if they think that comment is true after that, well let’s see. Sometimes you should not take things into your own hands, but in the two or three incidents I’ve had a right to do what I’ve done. Maybe I should have gotten somebody else to do it, but that’s not my nature. And like I said, come and spend a week dealing with what we have to deal with, week in and week out, and I think you’ll get a different opinion.
We know Tiger can beat you in golf. He can, right? What can you beat Tiger at?
[Laughs)] We like to do some running things. He can get me over the 100 [meters], 200 and 400. But I get him over the 1,500 and 1,800. Yeah, we are both competitive. Anything we do, it’s a competition. Tiger is a gifted athlete. I was totally blown away when he had a go at motor racing in New Zealand in 2006. We had some people there that are involved in what we call “mentoring” new drivers. They were actually amazed how quickly he picked it up. You’re racing on dirt, and if you have never raced on dirt before, it’s not something that is natural. Getting it around the corner, you have to turn it the opposite way to where it goes. It’s not an easy transition to drive on dirt, and he made the transition as quick as someone can do it. Within 20 minutes he had it. It was amazing.
Hooking up with Tiger has obviously been a life-changing experience for you. How would you describe the changes in your life that wouldn’t have happened unless you met Tiger?
That’s question that I’ve never been asked before. I don’t know how to answer that. Before I had the opportunity to caddie for Tiger, I was going to retire in 2000. I already discussed that with Raymond Floyd, who I was caddying for at the time, that I felt it was time to do something different. I could never have dreamed that 10 years later I’d be caddying for a guy who has put together a record like Tiger. It’s pretty remarkable.
Is there a simple reason why you don’t appear in those Tiger commercials where they use an actor for a caddie? I think you could handle it.
It’s just not something I’m that keen on doing. I’m not that big on that sort of stuff.
How long do you plan on playing this gig?
I kind of joke with Tiger all the time that once—obviously it’s well documented that Tiger’s dream is to break Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 professional major championships—that once we’ve done that I’m out of here. See you later. Then he’ll say: “My favorite number is 21, so we’d better get to 21 soon because that is my favorite number, then you can retire.” But to be honest with you, when you are working with somebody like Tiger, it has been such a great experience that sort of thought hasn’t come up in my head. Certainly, I think at some point in time I would look at maybe not caddying every particular week he plays. In the future, sometime that will happen so I can concentrate more on my racing. But right now, why would I? I have a great opportunity. I’ve got the best seat to watch the greatest golfer in the game.
Is there more pressure or less on a caddie who carries for a great player or a caddie who carries for a less-than-great player?
Pressure is a funny word, because it is self-inflicted. I don’t find any more pressure caddying for Tiger than caddying for anybody else. I’m trying to do my job the very best I can do every single day, week in and week out, year in and year out. There are certainly a lot of expectations by people outside of Tiger and myself. The expectations he places on himself are incredible. But that doesn’t put pressure on me. I can’t play the golf course for Tiger. I can’t determine the outcome. If you take too much of the outside world in, it could probably create pressure. By reading papers, reading news magazines, or watching TV, you would read a lot of people’s expectations. I don’t do that, so I don’t feel a lot of the pressure.
Talk about your racing. Is it a hobby or second career?
A second career. We do it on a serious basis. I’ve got a staff, and we have a complete fabrication shop. So it’s a bit more than a hobby, and I do it very seriously.
Any close calls where you avoided serious injury?
I have had a couple decent incidents. I badly injured my hand a couple of years ago, and I had my arm in a cast there for a few months, which made it hard to caddie. If you are involved in racing, it’s not IF you are going to crash, it’s WHEN. It’s part of the sport. It’s a dangerous sport, we all know that. But if you pay attention to your safety aspects of your car, you are pretty unlikely to get seriously injured.
What other hobbies do you have?
I’ve got my foundation, obviously. But that cues into golf. I like to run, and I am very keen on fitness. But racing and golf take up a huge amount of my time. Those are my two main interests.
How good of a golfer were you?
I was good or bad, depending on which way you look at it [laughs]. I was a 2 handicap when I was 13, so I was pretty decent. But I’ve caddied for 30 years, and it’s hard to maintain any kind of golf swing. And I’m not one of those people who like to play golf while I work. With caddying and racing, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for golf. I’m not racing when I am here in Sunriver, so this is the first opportunity I’ve had to actually do a bit of practice. Not as much as my son, though. My little boy likes to go to the range by himself.
A two handicap at the age of 13 sounds like the type of golfer who goes on to play competitively. Why didn’t you go that route?
I’ve had that question asked so often because at the time I was one of the best juniors in New Zealand. And I always had this fascination with caddying. When I first caddied for [five-time British Open champion] Peter Thomson, I was only 12. I was just so fascinated with it; I made my mind up right there that that’s what I wanted to do. It’s not something that’s a household sort of job, being a golf caddie. It’s not like I’m going to be a builder or an electrician or something. I can never quite explain it, because it was a long time ago. But certainly my experience caddying for Peter Thomson for the first time in 1976 told me what I wanted to do. As a kid I caddied every weekend at the golf club, doing it for money. And I was always fascinated with trying to help people get better.
What is the most important job of a caddie?
Everyone is going to give you a different answer. If you ask me, it’s the psychology side of it. Anybody can be taught how to give all the relevant information required for a particular shot. But the psychology side, it’s knowing when to say something, how to say something that can make a difference and get the best out of your player day in, day out. That’s the psychology side of it and that’s what makes a good caddie in my eyes.
I would assume that is made easier the longer you know your player.
No question. But you still have to extract the best you can out of a player every day. And by knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it, can make a big difference.
We can define the line between great players and good players in terms of wins, majors and money, but how do you define a great caddie? Just by how his player plays? There’s got to be more than that?
I always look at a caddie like a horse jockey. It is quite a difficult thing to judge, because there are some very, very good caddies who could be caddying for somebody you’ve never heard of or some player that is quite a way down the list. When you look at the top player-caddie relationships, you see that they don’t make a lot of mistakes. And that’s how you judge good caddies. A very good caddie can help a player win tournaments by making fewer mistakes than a lot of the other caddies. But it’s a difficult thing to judge.
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