The Bridgestone Invitational garnered the attention of just about every sports fan as Tiger Woods played his first tournament since May 12, when he withdrew from the Players Championship due to injury after an atrocious first nine holes. But Woods' return wasn't the only thing that people were watching. Just two weeks before the tournament he fired long-time caddie and friend, Steve Williams, after 12 years together. The break-up was inevitable after Williams became vocally critical of Woods as a result of Tiger's adulterous ways that were made public knowledge almost two years ago. These two men, who, at one time were such good friends that they stood up for one another at their respective weddings, have seen their relationship deteriorate rapidly since Thanksgiving of 2009. After his firing, Williams was hired by Adam Scott to carry his bag for this weekend's tournament.
I'll be the first to admit, I was rooting for Scott to win simply out of spite for Tiger. I've never been a fan of Woods and when Scott eventually won the tournament on Sunday I was a happy man. But my elation only lasted until I heard Williams' post-round interview. Before I get into his comments, let me explain something to those of you who don't know much about golf: Williams is a caddy. His job is to carry his golfer's bag, recommend an occasional club, help his golfer read greens, and dap him up after a good shot. And that's being generous. According to Curtis Strange, two-time winner of the U.S. Open, a caddy's job is to "show up, keep up and shut up." The golfer swings the clubs. The golfer records every single score on every single hole. The golfer makes the final decision on what club to use and what shot to hit. That's why I had to laugh and then vomit when I heard Williams acting like he had just won the tournament on Sunday. Take a listen to this:
I don't really care about him saying it was the best win and week of his life. I really don't. He obviously had a chip on his shoulder after his firing so it's natural that he wanted to win this weekend more than ever before, especially with Tiger in the field. My disgust comes from him acting like he was the one making the shots. At no point did he give any credit to the man that actually played. The man conducting the interview, David Feherty, even gave Williams a perfect opportunity to compliment Adam Scott (although it was the longest question I've ever heard from a reporter), but Williams blew that chance. Instead he thought the world needed to know that he's a "very confident front-runner" on the racetrack and on the golf course. First of all, literally nobody cares that you go racing. I'm betting he doesn't even do the driving, he just sits in the passenger seat and tells the driver to keep turning left. Second of all, YOU didn't win. YOUR GOLFER won. And YOU don't have 145 career wins. You've CARRIED THE BAG for 145 wins, almost all of them coming from arguably the greatest golfer in history. There's a reason you wear your golfer's last name on the back of your shirt instead of your own: Because you just don't matter that much. If caddies make such a difference in a round of golf, why is it that I can't name a single one other than Williams? And don't let it go to your head, Stevie. The only reason I know your name is because of your immature behavior.
I understand why Williams is upset. According to him, Tiger fired him during a phone conversation, not in a face to face meeting like Woods has said. But it's about time he grows up and handles his disappointment like a man. Don't go cry to the media about how you need to put food on the table for your family. I have a hard time feeling bad for someone who has easily made several million dollars over the past few years by simply carrying some golf clubs. Tiger Woods made you. Anyway, what did you think was going to happen when you publicly criticized him for decisions he made in his private life? I never thought we'd see the day that I support Tiger Woods, but I think Williams has managed to surpass him for my least favorite individual in golf.
"I'll get up at five in the morning to do only two things: Go to the bathroom and play golf."
-Jim McMahon, former NFL Quarterback
-Brusk Dollhairs
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