Tiger Woods’ dominance of golf wasn’t simply good for his financial institution stability.
Steve Williams with Tiger Woods in 2008 (Picture: Joel Auerbach, Getty Pictures)
When {golfing} icon Tiger Woods dominated the game across the flip of the millennium, his caddie Steve Williams gathered a considerable fortune by way of his work with the nice of the sport. It had lengthy appeared as if Williams’ report because the highest-earning caddie of all time would stay unmatched – however data are there to be damaged. Williams, who hails from New Zealand, spent greater than 12 years working with Woods in the course of the American’s prime. His wealth was reported at $20million, which equates to roughly £14.9m in in the present day’s cash.
Woods secured 13 of his 15 main championship victories with Williams accompanying him. The one two exceptions have been his maiden Masters triumph in 1997 and his exceptional victory on the identical event on the age of 43. By the point Woods claimed his 2019 title at Augusta, Joe LaCava had assumed the place as his caddie. Williams’ appreciable internet value nonetheless stands as the best within the business however is now dealing with a problem, with Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott quickly closing the hole. Woods and Williams shared a productive partnership which introduced title after title however the relationship got here to an prompt finish in 2011. Woods publicly declared his choice to finish their collaboration after Williams caddied for competitor Adam Scott on the US Open that yr while he was absent from the event.
“Adam heard Tiger pulled out and puzzled the place I used to be. I phoned Tiger about it and he stated, ‘No drawback,'” Williams advised PGATour.com in 2014. “After some thought, although, he did not agree with it. Tiger modified his thoughts.
“Effectively, I would already advised Adam I might be there. I wasn’t ready to ring Adam up and say I can not do it. I am a person of my phrase. I had no thought I used to be going to get fired over it.
“I additionally hadn’t labored rather a lot. Not that I wanted the cash, however I wished to work. I used to be advised [by Tiger] after US Open that I not had a job and it is so simple as that.”
Williams revisited the problem in a 2021 documentary about former world No.1 Woods. “He had his agent name and he stated, ‘Should you go and caddie to your pal, that would be the finish of your time caddying for Tiger,'” he recalled.
“I believed there was no means the man goes to fireside me. However a few days after the event I acquired the telephone name to say our time had ended. I imagine in my very own coronary heart I gave 100 per cent after I was caddying for Tiger the complete time I used to be with him, and for him to fireside me over that type of factor, I discovered that fairly uncommon.”
He continued: “When he fired me, I believed he was firing me as a golf caddie and never as a pal. Tiger was one of the best man at my marriage ceremony, I did not assume we might haven’t any communication for the remainder of our lives.
“That simply did not even enter my thoughts. To at the present time I discover {that a} exhausting tablet to swallow. Somebody you spend 13 years with, with all of your time and all of your effort, and the man cannot even communicate to you.”
Scheffler’s right-hand man Scott is raking it in at a speedy fee (Picture: Getty)
Since Williams’ retirement, fellow caddie Ted Scott has been quickly climbing the wealth rankings. Though his actual earnings are usually not public information, the PGA Tour customary of 10 per cent of prize cash when their participant wins, and 5 to seven per cent for different outcomes relying on the ending place, has prompted some to make estimates.
Golf Month-to-month’s calculations counsel that Scott may have earned greater than $7m (£5.2m) throughout 2024 and 2025. He has partnered with world No.1 Scheffler for a number of main victories, together with triumphs on the Open and PGA Championship in 2025. With Scheffler nonetheless simply 29 years previous, there’s ample time for Scott to surpass Williams if he continues working with the American.
In the meantime, Williams has quickly come out of retirement to work with Australian skilled Anthony Quayle. “Anthony’s had a variety of expertise and he is acquired the nice alternative this yr of taking part in on the DP World Tour,” he advised Australian Golf Digest.
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“It is a first time expertise for him and he is acquired the expertise and talent. If I can move on any info which may help him in his journey, it is value it. I do not take a look at it from the outcomes standpoint these two weeks, it is about what he can get out of me and to encourage him to fulfil his potential.”
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