Maybe Tiger Woods did not expect Steve Williams to keep up his very public outcry about being sacked by the former world No. 1 after a dozen years as a player-caddie duo. After Adam Scott won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational last Sunday, Woods says he sent a congratulatory message to both victors.
?I sent Stevie a nice text after completion, play, congratulating him on his win. It was good to see them go out there and play as well as they did,? Woods said.
He added, ?I was happy to see Stevie and Adam win. Adam has been a friend of mine, and same with Stevie.?
Note the use of the past perfect tense. Their relationship is likely a thing of the past and it?s clearly far from perfect.
Woods declined to say if there had been any conversation between the two about Williams? comments after the tournament, but did acknowledge a meeting captured by a local photographer between the caddie and Woods? agent Mark Steinberg at Atlanta Athletic Club on Tuesday.
?They talked, yeah, absolutely,? Woods confirmed.
Publicly, at least, Woods is taking the high road in avoiding the temptation to lend any color to Williams? remarks because it would bring nothing but further tarnish to the 14-time major winner?s reputation.
?I?m not going to speculate on Steve. Those are obviously his feelings and his emotions and his decision to say what he wants to say,? he said.
He made it clear that the analysis of the break up and the resulting fallout has been out of his hands.
Woods said, ?All I can control is my life and how I feel, and that?s it. That?s all I can do.?
With all that has happened since word of the split became public, it?s likely Woods has a degree of confirmation bias about his decision.
?Sometimes we all need changes, and this was a change,? Woods reiterated Wednesday like he did last week at Firestone. ?I was at peace with it, and it was a decision and a direction I wanted to go, and that?s it.?
The word loyalty was thrown around a lot in analyzing Woods? decision to dismiss the Kiwi caddie, but when asked to define it clearly, he knew the loaded nature of the question. He chose his words as his typically does ? sparingly and deliberately.
He said, ?Obviously it?s trust earned over time, and I think that?s the only way I can define it.?
For this week, his loyal friend Bryon Bell ? loyal for a variety of things including acting as a travel service for Woods? mistresses, if the tabloids are to be believed ? is on the bag this week. He may not be able to offer a refined set of attributes that a proper caddie should, but Woods does not feel at a handicap with him on the bag.
?We?re going to be competing. He knows my game. He knows how far I hit the golf ball. We play all the time at home, so he?s seen me play a ton of golf. So that?s nothing new,? Woods said. ?Only thing that?s going to be different for us is obviously we?re in a tournament situation. But as far as understanding me and knowing me and knowing what to say, he?s very good at that.?
Meanwhile, speculation continues about when Woods will identify a full-time caddie. The name of Mark O?Meara?s current looper Shane Joel came out in reporting by Rex Hoggard on Tuesday. Woods was, per usual, non-committal.
?Mark was nice enough to talk to me about it and said that Shane is available if I so choose,? Woods said. ?But going to the major championship, I?m focused on this. After this event I?ll sit down and really look at it hopefully going to the Playoffs.?
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