Why Tiger Woods’ former caddie said he’d wasted two years of his life with him 

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Tiger Woods and Steve Williams were one of the most successful player-caddie partnerships in the sport’s history. 

During their time together, they won 13 major championships, and Steve Williams was on Tiger Woods’ bag during the most dominant stretch of golf we have ever seen. 

Woods held all four majors at the same time in 2001. He made a record 142 consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour, and he spent 281 straight weeks at number one of the Official World Golf Rankings. It’s a level of golf we may never see again. 

But pride cometh before the fall, even for the greatest golfer of all time. Following the 2008 US Open, which Woods won with a torn ACL and two stress fractures, and a scandal away from the course, Woods was never the same golfer. 

Williams stuck with him through that time, but in the eyes of the 15-time major winner, his caddie betrayed him. Woods fired him because of it, and let’s just say he didn’t take it well. 

Steve Williams was furious after being sacked by Tiger Woods

In 2024, Williams said he was fired after what he did at the 2011 US Open. Woods pulled out of the event due to his ongoing injury issues, so Australian Adam Scott asked Williams to caddie for him. Woods gave him the go-ahead, but after Williams had arrived in America, Woods changed his mind. 

He warned Williams that if he caddied for Scott, he would be fired, but he went ahead with it anyway. Woods, predictably, fired Williams, and he was outraged on television after the event.

Williams claimed he had wasted two years of his life due to Woods’ poor form, after he stuck by his man during the most difficult period of his life.

He explained, “The last 18 months have been a particularly difficult time for Tiger, obviously working through a scandal, he’s had a new coach, a swing change.

“The last 18 months have been very difficult, and I’ve stuck by him through thick and thin. I’ve been incredibly loyal, and then to have this happen, I mean, basically, you could say I’ve wasted two years of my life, the last two years.

“I certainly, along with a lot of people, lost respect for Tiger, and you know I pointed out to him when I came back at Augusta in 2010 after what had happened that he had to earn back my respect. Slowly, he was doing that, but obviously, that isn’t the case right now.

“I wouldn’t ditch somebody when the chips are down. I stuck by Tiger. He put myself and my family in a difficult position there for quite a period of time, so I stuck by him, was loyal to him, so I’m very disappointed that this has come to an end.

“I mean, I’m not disappointed that the fact that I got fired. That’s part of the job when you work in this business. There’s no hidden agenda where that comes. But you know the timing of it is extraordinary to me.”

It all worked out in the end for Williams, who went on to win the Masters as Scott’s caddie in 2013. As for Woods, his major-winning ways would not return for another eight years, when he won the Masters in 2019. 

Tiger Woods gave a different reason for sacking Steve Williams

Williams didn’t reveal why he was fired until 13 years later, and Woods gave a very different reason at the time.

Speaking a few days after the news was announced, he tried to downplay both the decision and Williams’ comments afterwards.

Woods said, “I felt it was time for a change. He is a hell of a guy and has helped my career, but I think I’ve helped his as well.

On the Williams quotes, he said that he felt none of that anger when he spoke to him, adding, “We had a nice conversation. It was a tough conversation, but we said what we needed to face-to-face and man-to-man.”

It was a tactful explanation from Woods, who wasn’t going to add any more fuel to the fire after Williams’ explosive rant.  He ended up with Joe LaCava on the bag, and they had a successful time together, winning at Augusta National years later.