So now comes multi-millionaire Steve Williams, the guy who used to be a PGA Tour caddie, releasing his own book that is supposed to tell us things about Tiger Woods that we already didn’t know.
Out of the Rough, was released this week, authored by Williams but it’s more written by Auckland, New Zealand journalist Michael Donaldson as told by Williams. Better title would be: Steve Williams, Tiger Woods and Sour New Zealand Grapes.
Someone forgot to tell Stevie Williams that there is only one thing wrong here — it’s too damn late!
Fact is, if Steve Williams feels he was betrayed by Tiger Woods, well, he needs to get in line. You see, betrayal is one thing that Tiger Woods is really, really good at, just as good as he used to be on the golf course. Yes, Tiger’s a world-class betrayer.
First, Tiger betrayed his wife Elin, so what would Williams expect?
Professional courtesy? Tiger Woods has none of that, he has specialized in firing those who have done well for him.
That practice by Woods started back in 1998 when Tiger canned his first agent, Huges Norton from IMG. Norton was the Golden Boy of IMG. He was hand-picked by the late Mark McCormack, founder of IMG. McCormack found Norton at Harvard Business School.
All Norton did was get Woods $120 million in endorsement deals when he first came on the tour. Made him the richest golfer ever on Planet Earth and set him up for life. Norton and fellow IMGer Bev Norwood also started the practice of bullying the media into writing good stuff about Tiger. Their basic threat/promise back in the day was that if you wrote something bad about Tiger, you’ll never, ever land an interview with him.
Norton even went so far as to try and bully John Feinstein, one of the most accomplished sports authors of our time. Feinstein would have none of it and eventually even Tiger Woods told Feinstein that he appeared bully-proof.
For all that Norton did for Woods, he was dismissed and eventually sent packing from IMG, most likely with a settlement that kept Norton from penning a book. If anyone could write the REAL tell-all on Woods, it would be Norton. Perhaps one day.
The list goes on.
Woods hired and later fired his first caddie — Mike “Fluff” Cowan — who was on the bag for Tiger’s first Masters win, his first major, back in 1997. Fluff landed a motel commercial and basically the thought at the time was that only Woods was allowed to make commercials.
Woods has fired every swing coach he’s had as a professional, starting with Butch Harmon, then Hank Haney and most recently Sean Foley. It’s simple, Tiger’s a “blame someone” kinda guy.
The “blame-game” crashed at the same time Tiger plowed his Cadillac Escalade into a neighbor’s oak tree at Isleworth. In the months that followed that late November morning, 2009, the world learned more about the “real” Tiger Woods, the real betrayer.
Williams posed this question in his new book: “What did Tiger do with himself to get rid fo the stress that built up in his life?”
That early morning crash began to provide those answers.
Best accounting to date has been by Steve Helling: Tiger: The Real Story.
Good read, simply reinforces what we all now know — Tiger Woods is not a nice guy.
Hank Haney took his turn tattling on Woods in his book: The Big Miss. It simply reinforces what came before it.
So by now you get the picture.
Stevie Williams is way too late to this pile-on party.
It becomes even more laughable when at one point when Williams says he felt Tiger treated him like “a slave.”
Last time we checked, Williams had a reported net worth of $20 million. Last we checked, slaves never landed in that income bracket.
Fact is, Williams was on the bag when Woods won 13 of his 14 majors. Totin’ that bag has been very, very good to Williams.
Evidently Williams thinks he’s really letting the cat, or in this case, the Tiger, out of the bag by telling us that Tiger has a bad temper, throws clubs and spits on greens.
Really? Geez Stevie, you think no one watches golf on television?
Sorry, but this caddie tale fails to launch the meter.
One thing we do know is that Tiger, the betrayer, is a world-class secret keeper.
He even had a second operation on his back in September and we didn’t find out until last week.
Tiger Woods may have found his calling as a golfer, but if he’s ever looking for work, they might find him a spot at the CIA.
After all, he’s sneaky, tight-lipped, can tell lies with a straight face and knows how to keep secrets.
As far as Steve Williams goes, he doesn’t need to ever carry another golf bag.
Time for Stevie to enjoy life and simply forget about Tiger Woods.
32 Comments
Anthony
I would go watch Tiger play golf because of his skills and not to try and be his friend. The only skill Stevie has is being able to carry a 50 pound golf bag 6 miles for someone else and making a fortune based on their skills.
Stevie, shut up and go away.
BAXTER
Wow. I gave your site anchance but the writing seems itis posible as heck. Never again.
You may not like Tiger, obviously, but Ed nothing else shouldn’t his former caddie be described similarly. The only knock on Williams is he is too late with his story. There is a lot more to criticize Williams about and the views in Tiger are as irresponsible as journalism gets. Having followed Tiger as close as possible over the last couple of decades he is clearly not perfect but he is also nowhere near the monster this factless article tries to portray him as; even more so than Williams views.
It is just sports writing but what happened to journalism? So sad.
Louis Gurske
Anthony, you are so right. Why don’t he give back some of that money he made on Tiger to charity. I to will watch Tiger any time he plays. He is fun to watch. People who dislike him better not count him out just yet. He is still a winner. Lou
Doc
You sound like you to was FIRED or should be. What’s with you haters? You didn’t add anything new to the groupie’s who hate Tiger. Are you so hurt he has done well in his life or the fact we all sin? You people are a trip with your hatred, Never see this mess with others as you would have us believe doesn’t happen which we all know is a lie. You are just confirming what we already know is you all have a problem that Tiger didn’t create nor can he solve. Get help please before you pass this gene to your kids. Stevie comes from a culture that explains his foolishness I guess you do too.
Dan R.
Tiger Woods does have a lot of ability. But he is a jerk and has repeatably shown this time after
time. Everyone keeps going on and on how he won a Major on a broken leg. It was not broken
he had a fracture is all. If it had been broken he could not have played. Why do we always have
to here about when he doesn’t play or misses the cut. This does an injustice to the rest of the players.
T Ri
You idiot last time I checked fractured meant broken
Alex
A fracture is synonymous with a broken bone. Bonehead!
Doughboy1338
You sound like a broke dick. Last I heard a fracture was a break? I’m not even a huge Tiger fan but the guy was a helluva golfer and had mad talent. He did more for the game of golf and raised the interest and purses to unheard of level. All the guys out there right now should be thanking him for playing the game and raising the bar like he did. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Ricky Fowler, Rory McIlroy, none of them should even be mentioned in the same breath as Tiger yet, for they have not passed the test of time yet. Don’t be a hater.
Editor In Chief
Not sure I understand what you’re talking about. Tiger is in dire straits right now, no one knows if he can return, David Feherty came out this week and thinks Tiger might not be able to come back at all. Paul Azinger is on record saying that if Tiger can’t come close to his former skill level, he may have no interest in playing again.
David
Tiger is a talented and intelligent golfer. He is also arrogant, self centered, egotistical and just plain mean. There are many other golfers playing today who seem to be better people than Tiger. I hope his health returns but I will not watch him if he returns.
Scott Douglas
who cares?
Boomer
I for one amd very please that we have almost seen the ens of that egotistical sleazebag Woods. He’s exactly like his father who I have personally seen in action as a racist and demanding sleaze. I saw and heard him at one private club when he asked a person at the club “Go tell that white boy over there in the white suit (Kid happened to be on a break from the kitchen)to get me a bottle of water and to hurry up I want to see my son putt”. He was just another fat piece of garbage and his son is just like him.
Skip
Jordan Spieth is the ANTI- Tiger. Spieth is EVERYTHING that Tiger was not…..POLITE, CLASSY, WELL LIKED BY EVERYONE…..AND TALENTED. OH, AND MODEST AS WELL. Tiger is the most classless individual I have ever seen in professional sports. Golf is in a great place now with all the young CLASSY players….Jason Day, Spieth, Rory, Ricky etc al. Someone needs to place a tombstone in Tigers yard,,,,,,he is just an afterthought now…..and I for one am truly happy about that.
T Ri
There is no golf as we know i without Tiger how about asking Speith that? You guys are idiots type with your mind not your heart
Steve
No, that honor goes to The King, Arnold Palmer. Arnie’s Armies were real. Like Babe Ruth in baseball, Arnold Palmer saved the game of golf. Tiger Woods was a placeholder for the next great group of players to follow. Someone else will follow that group.
Bobby
Skip,
I have one question for you. Frankly this goes for everyone that has nothing better to do with their time. Do you know either woods or spieth personally? I’m guessing no! Therefore you are in no position to comment on either one of them. I laugh at all of you that sit on the sideline and pass judgement on people when you have no idea what you’re talking about. Just because spieth acts a certain way I front of the camera doesn’t mean that’s how he is off camera, and vice versa.
Jim
Bobby,
Personally knowing someone is not a requirement to form a personal opinion of that person based on the persona that person holds up for the world to see. We all evaluate people based on what we do know about them and then adjust our opinions, as needed, when we learn more. You can’t NOT do that.
Skip
Well Bobby, it seems like you should take a dose of your own medicine. See, you know NOTHING about me yet you act as if you know me personally. For one thing, BOBBY I did play professionally, and still have good friends that are playing now. Heath Slocum is one of them. Trust me BOBBY, TIGGER is and has never been respected by his peers. He is classless, arrogant, and most of all….a CHEATER….yes a CHEATER….he cheated on his wife….he cheated at the Masters in 2014 with the illegal drop on the 15th fairway….what he is getting now is instant KARMA….So, BOBBY tell me more about who I am and what you REALLY know about me
Alex
How many majors did you win? Chump.
Skip
So, MAJORS are the barometer for which we form an opinion of a classless, arrogant, cheater like Tigger? Tell ya what CHUMP….anytime YOU want to tee it up with me for $5,000 nassau just come on to Houston and get all you want. I think your alligator mouth has overloaded your hummingbird ass.
Jack N.
Skip: Your right the new generation of young golfers is really helping GOLF I don’t think the Tour
has missed Tiger. But remember the golf history books will honor Tiger Woods as one the greatest golfers of all times And that’s a fact. No matter how you fell about him no matter how many obscenity you throw at him. You seam a little jealous at Tiger success. As for as Steve
Williams he’s a great caddie just ask Adam Scott.
Sam
What a kick in the Ass for Tiger . Made a million dollar caddie, and now has to bad mouth his old boss. Guess Stevie boy is in need of more money . What a dirt bag back stabber. He could have quit if he did not like what was happening , but No took the big bucks , and now has to tell the world .
Roger
Who cares. Watch the new generation of golfers and Phil and Furik
Ladyg
I think that everyone should just mind their own business. I agree with Bobby, we don’t know any of these players personally so we don’t have the right to make the type of comments that I have seen on this website. Get a life……
Jack
Spellcheck people!!!!! Or at least proofread. These responses are just hard to read!
Joel
Tiger is a golfer, not a saint. Steve is a jerk.
Rob
Williams is graceless and classless. He clearly mirrors his old boss. He could have left Woods at any time, but he was enjoying making his big bucks too much.
Dave Farabaugh
The reason I never rooted for Tiger is because of how he acted while playing tournament golf. All of it was just too much and some of it (the cussing and the spitting while on camera) none of us had ever seen from a great player before. To hear these other things about him confirms for me that what I was feeling about him was correct.
Gord
Good article….but a much better book would have been about Steve Williams, one of the most disliked caddies on tour….some of the stories would have included his shot at Phil Michelson, and his habit of taking of his ‘caddy bib’ off on the 18green, which during Tigers tournament in California, Graham McDowel birdied the last hole to tie Tiger, and he told Steve to put his bib back on.
He would have been better off to take his millions and keep his mouth shut!
steve odell
Tiger made a lot of mistakes in his marriage. But many tour players change caddies and coaches. Phil just dumped Butch Harmon after several years. I have taken lessons from a lot of different teachers. We are all looking for answers to this complicated game for life.
I still want to see him play and I hope he wins some more. I wasn’t in to golf to much in the Arnie days but Tiger got people (even my wife) to watch.
Alex
This is the worst article I’ve ever read in my entire life.
Alex
The dog at this top of this page is aiming for this article.