Stevie Williams: caddy diva
News item: In one of the most unusual twists in the history of professional golf, caddy Steve Williams won the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club the other day.
Yes, initially it was reported that Adam Scott had won the tournament by four strokes. But apparently that was wrong because Williams, Scott's caddy and, more famously, the looper jilted by Tiger Woods not long ago, called Bridgestone "the best win I've ever had" in a post-match interview in which he went off once again about the unfair treatment accorded him by his former boss.
OK, we kid about the news reports. But reaction to Williams' post-match grandstanding after Scott's win is still coming in. Several PGA Tour players, notably Steve Stricker, ripped Williams for breaking golf's unwritten rule of omerta, the one that says caddies should keep their mouths closed and never deflect attention away from their bosses under penalty of death.
Reaction from golf fans, however, seems to side with Williams. In fact, Woods' former caddy was greeted with chants of "Stee-vee Will-iams!" and cries of "We love you, Stevie!" when he and Scott reached the 18th hole at Firestone.
In the midst of all this adulation, Scott must have thought: "What am I, chopped liver?" And when the media beseiged Williams after the tournament and the looper launched into another rant about how he was shafted by Tiger, Scott seemed to disappear even more.
Williams is still obviously working out a lot of anger at the way Tiger dumped him after 13 years together in which Woods won 13 majors.
And while golf's sense of decorum has obviously been shattered -- oh, the humanity! -- by a lowly caddy grabbing the media spotlight after a big tournament and using it to rip the sports biggest name, anyone who's ever been unceremoniously fired from a long-time job without cause can relate to Williams -- even in a small way.
Tiger Woods, by the way, finished 18 shots behind Adam Scott.
His new caddy, pal Byron Bell, did not talk to the media.
What an upset.
Photo credit: Getty
Comments
Well, I have to say that Tiger did the right thing with this scumbag.
Posted by: John | August 9, 2011 12:29 PM
If you recall, Tiger's first fulltime caddy, Fluff, was fired for gaining too much media attention shortly after the 97 Master's. Then in comes Steve Williams.... cry baby....
Posted by: Scottmann | August 9, 2011 1:09 PM
Most high ranking pro golfers treat caddies and course personnel like peasants, or worse. There are exceptions (Phil Mickelson for one) but your article sounds like you support the old seen and not heard rhetoric of Medieval times. Williams did not initiate the attention. Fans cheered him and then journalists sought him out. I guess you're still man crushing on Tiger. By now, most should see Woods for who he really is.
Posted by: johnny c | August 9, 2011 1:44 PM
I'm starting to wonder if maybe Williams is "deflecting attention" to actually assist his employer going into the PGA Championship this weekend.
Can't forget Adam Scott has never won a major, and has been known to suffer the yips with the putter.
Maybe Stevie knows what he is doing...
Posted by: Justin | August 9, 2011 2:35 PM
He sat around for two years for his boss to get his act together and start winning (and start paying him) only to get dumped.
His beef is legitimate, but he needed to tone it down a notch.
Posted by: John K | August 9, 2011 10:05 PM