Back in 1999, when Tiger Woods approached Steve Williams to be his caddie, he was well aware of the kind of golfer that was in front of him. Three years prior at Augusta, he had watched Woods, still an amateur, hit the ball over a bunker about 295 yards away at practice. All he could utter was a surprised ‘wow’.

Golfer Woods had undeniably charmed Williams. But yet, he was skeptical about grabbing the job. As he reminisced in 2014, the caddie wasn’t sure how he was “going to get on with a guy.” But little would Williams know that was one thing he did not have to worry about.

“The thing that stood out for me more than anything when I first went to caddy for Tiger is that after every single round, good or bad, indifferent, whatever, ‘Thanks for your help today, Steve,'” Williams revealed on the Tee It Up podcast. “A lot of times when you are carrying for guys, and things don’t go well, and you have a bad day, they’d rather not see you. They don’t want to talk to you. But he was remarkable.

“Every day, he thanked me for the job. And as a young guy under the pressure, that was the first [gesture]. I couldn’t believe it.”

Williams started caddying for Woods in 1999, when the golfer was just three years into his pro career. He’d take on the role of an enforcer for Woods in the next 11 years they were together– punting a photographer’s camera, shutting down the hecklers, getting him the best information to get him around in the fewest strokes possible.

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They won 13 major championships together between 1999 and 2011 before their widely popular sour split.

It so happened that Williams had come to caddy for Woods in the 2011 US Open, but he was recovering from an injury and decided to sit out. In a surprising turn of events, Adam Scott asked Williams to caddy for him, and he agreed. Woods, who has always demanded loyalty, did not take that well. Williams revealed a decade ago that while Woods had initially seemed fine with it, rang him back and let him go.

While the relationship did turn a tiny bit bitter over the matter, Williams hasn’t forgotten the good parts. And for what it’s worth, Woods went on to build a similar dynamic with his other caddies.

For one, with Joe LaCava, who took over in 2011, Woods formed a brotherly bond. Or, in Woods’ words, who had played quite the tricks against LaCava and been supported through a year of injury limitations: “I love you like a brother.” But since they split in 2023, Lance Bennet has taken over, whom Woods describes as “very down to earth, very loyal.”

However, the 82x PGA Tour winner has been kept away from a comeback due to health issues. Yet, Williams says Woods still has it in him to complete a full 72-hole game.

Steve Williams believes Tiger Woods can return healthy

Williams affirmed Tiger Woods’ confidence, even as the 15x major champion faces ongoing physical setbacks. According to Williams, there is “no chance” that Tiger’s career is over. He thinks that Woods still has wins left in him. He has firsthand experience of Tiger’s resilience, having seen him win the 2008 U.S. Open despite a broken leg.

“You know that he believes in himself, that at some point he can stand on the first tee of a major championship and feel that he is fully fit to compete for 72 holes and that he’s done the practice to do that,” Steve Williams said about Woods’ comeback. The 12-year caddy for Woods described his winning mentality as legendary but also somewhat mechanical.

For example, after a dominating 15-stroke US Open victory in 2000, Tiger immediately focused on preparing to win at St Andrews, telling Williams to get all the details for that goal. This even took a toll on Williams’ health. But Woods’ unmatched drive and quiet gestures of gratitude continue to shape how he’s remembered beyond