Stevie Williams ‘is no racist’ says Tiger

Woods does ‘rep’ no harm by nobly defusing Williams race row

Magnanimous: Tiger Woods moved to quell the growing furore over his former caddie’s racial slur

‘Reps’ are what Tiger Woods repeatedly says he requires to return to his former prowess on the golf course. However, it was while grinding out repetitions of a different kind in a Sydney gym that the former world No.1 went some way to restoring his own public ‘rep’ by nobly attempting to defuse the simmering race row engulfing former caddie Steve Williams.

While accepting an award for ‘Best Celebration of the Year’ at a caddie’s dinner in Shanghai last Friday, Williams aimed a racist slur at his former employer Woods, referring to him as “that black arsehole”.

However, despite that prejudiced insult, Tiger revealed all had been forgiven during a chance meeting with his former bagman while working out in Sydney.

Woods, who is in the Antipodes preparing for the Australian Open and, subsequently, the Presidents Cup in which he may face Williams’ current bag Adam Scott, attempted to draw a line under the furore by saying that his former caddie’s comments were not in keeping with his true character.

“Stevie is certainly not a racist,” said the former world No.1 “There’s no doubt about that. It was a comment that shouldn’t have been made and certainly one he wishes he didn’t make.”

A dignified Woods said that though the comments made by Williams – who looped for Tiger for 13 years – were ‘hurtful’ and ‘wrong’, in light of a personal apology from his former caddie he was now eager to put the issue to bed.

“We met face to face and we talked it through,” said Tiger, who tees it up at The Lakes in Sydney this week in search of a first tournament win in two years. “Obviously it was the wrong thing to say. That’s something that we both acknowledge now. We’ll move forward. He did apologise. It was hurtful but life moves forward. It’s one of those things. We’ll see what time does.”

Williams served as Woods’ caddie for 13 of his 14 major wins, before a decidedly discordant parting of the ways this summer. With Woods injured, Williams had taken on Adam Scott’s bag on a temporary basis, an arrangement that has now been made permanent.

For the first time, Woods hinted that his caddie’s moonlighting for Scott influenced his decision to end the partnership.

“I wasn’t playing, I was injured and I was trying to come back, but I missed most of the major championships and he didn’t want to miss them, which is understandable,” Woods said.

“I wish I could’ve played in them, too.”

“For me personally it was a tough decision to make to go in a different direction. Personally I don’t know how it could have happened the way it did but it did.”

Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered