Tiger Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams on Grand Slam success, wins at The Masters and his future major hopes

Tiger Woods is a 15-time major champion, with 13 of those – including the ‘Tiger Slam’ – coming with Steve Williams as his caddie; Williams discusses their past success, major wins and his relationship with Woods on the latest Sky Sports Golf podcast

Tiger Woods’ former caddie Steve Williams has backed him to overcome his latest injury setback and believes the five-time Masters champion’s career is “not done yet”.

Woods has played a limited schedule in recent years after a car crash in February 2021 left him with career-threatening leg and ankle injuries, making just 11 official starts over the past four seasons and completing 72 holes on just four occasions.

The former world No 1 will miss The Masters – live from April 10-13 on Sky Sports – after rupturing his Achilles, raising doubts over his participation in the rest of the majors this season and when he will be able to return to competitive action.

Williams caddied for him from 1999 to 2011, playing an important role in the ‘Tiger Slam’ and 13 of his 15 major victories, with the New Zealander still expecting Woods to try and challenge for majors again.

“Tiger’s still got a task at hand,” Williams told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “Obviously he’s out injured with another setback, but I truly believe that he will not give the chance of winning another major away.

“He will want to still practice and get to the point where he feels he could stand on the tee and physically compete for 72 holes, knowing that he’s given every bit of practice he can do to get there and try and win one more major.

“He’s not done yet!”

Would Tiger’s career have been different without Williams?

Williams had already been a caddie for over 20 years and worked for major winners Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd when he replaced Mike “Fluff” Cowan as Woods’ looper in March 1999, where it became clear where the future Grand Slam winner’s priorities stood.

“When I went to take the job with Tiger and talked to him about what his plan is and what his goals were, it was just overwhelming importance placed on the major championships,” Williams explained.

Image:Tiger Woods and Steve Williams’ partnership is the most successful in major history

“Following his victory at The Masters [1997], he hadn’t won another major championship when I stepped on the bag in 1999. With every major that passes by, it’s one less chance to win one and he’s not getting his career on the track that he wanted to get on. I could sense that straight away.”

The pair enjoyed major success later that year at the PGA Championship, where Williams’ decision to overrule Woods on the penultimate hole led them to see off the then-teenager Sergio Garcia at Medinah.

“Tiger read the putt and said that it’s outside the hole, but I assured him it was inside the hole – it was a big call,” Williams admitted. “It’s the first time we’ve had a chance to win a major. He’s actually faltering a little bit down the stretch and Sergio [Garcia]’s got the crowd behind him.

“He knocked that putt in and who knows where his career may have gone had he not knocked that putt in and gone on to beat Sergio. The second major I feel is the hardest one to win and you look at the number of great players, accomplished players that only won one major championship.

“Tiger obviously won that in 1999, so he’s not starting 2000 with that extra pressure of trying to win that second major and start this run. In a big moment, I overruled Tiger and I was correct and that’s where a huge amount of our trust that followed in the subsequent years was born.”

Woods won three of the four majors in 2000, including the US Open and The Open by a record-breaking margin, before winning The Masters the following April to hold all four majors simultaneously.

He remains the last player to win the Green Jacket in successive years, following his title defence in 2002 that also saw him claim the US Open, part of a remarkable run of seven victories in 11 majors.

“Everything was towards breaking Jack’s [Nicklaus] record of 18 major championships,” Williams said. “As every year passed along and every major went by, there was just more and more pressure on that. Right there and then, I truly believed that he would eclipse it.

“His dedication, his drive, his practice, the way he played and prepared for and we way he peaked for majors was better than anybody else. It’s a lot of pressure caddying for Tiger, but it’s great pressure and stuff that we’ve thrived on.”

THAT chip and their legacy together

Woods failed to add to his major tally over the next two seasons but made amends at the 2005 Masters, beating Chris DiMarco in a play-off, having produced one of the greatest shots in major history with his remarkable chip-in birdie at the par-three 16th.

“As Tiger hit the ball at the tee and I’m thinking ‘jeez, that’s a bit left!’,” Williams reflected.

“I was thinking that’s in the bunker, then it’s not the bunker. Then it’s in the water, now it’s not in the water – I don’t know where it’s gone and what’s over there! Tiger, as we’re walking from the tee up to the green, was asking me what’s over there. I didn’t know what’s over there!

“Tiger said: ‘Do you think if I land the ball on this pitch mark, it won’t roll too far up the hill or it gets too much speed will come back and go too far past the hole?’ Well, he landed the ball exactly on that pitch mark.

“He could stand there for the rest of his life and hit as many shots as he wanted, he’d never reproduce that shot – it was just an incredible moment.”

Williams was there to comfort him a year later at The Open, the first major won since the passing of Woods’ father, Earl, with their close bond extending off the golf course until their separation in 2011.

Image:Woods broke down in tears after completing his victory at Hoylake – the most recent of his Open Championship wins

Together We Roared – Williams’ new book about his time with Woods – reflects more on the end of their partnership and the limited communication since, with the veteran caddie feeling ‘fortunate’ to have spent so long alongside the 82-time PGA Tour winner.

“When he came to the course, he was all business,” Williams said. “That was his job, he had a task and he wanted to do that task to the best of his ability every single day he came to the golf course.

“He certainly did have a softer side, which only those people around him would see off the golf course. He had a very kind touch. He doesn’t say anything without any meaning and he takes his time.

“I was very fortunate to carry for one of the greatest players ever and be part of some golfing history. He was an incredible guy to work for and he was very generous to myself and my entire family.

“I have nothing but praise for the guy and I feel very fortunate to have been able to stand by him and watch him play some of the best golf ever played.”