Woods Fires Stevie For Disloyalty!?

Robert Lusetich, who interviewed Steve Williams at length for his book on the Tiger scandal and who frequently has scored several Williams related exclusives, recounts the loyalty shown by Williams despite spousal pressures. But he also takes us through the build-up and ultimate cause of the highest profile breakup in player-caddy history: Tiger felt betrayed.

Imagine the irony!

Lusetich takes us back to Tiger's U.S. Open WD, which he neglected to mention to Stevie before his looper boarded a flight from New Zealand.

With Woods sidelined, and seeing that he was already in the US, it seemed innocuous enough to Williams to answer an SOS from his old friend, Scott, who’d just parted ways with longtime caddie Tony Navarro and needed someone to step in while he looked for a permanent replacement.

But it wasn’t innocuous to Woods, who wasn’t happy to be sharing his caddie with another player.

Neither did he want to deal with the inevitable media speculation the news would invite.

But Williams had already promised Scott he’d work for him at Congressional and told Woods he wasn’t going to go back on his word.

The straw that broke this camel’s back came when Williams showed up at Woods’ own tournament, the AT&T National in Philadelphia, with Scott, who finished third.

Williams hadn’t thought it necessary to get Woods’ permission a second time but at a closed-door meeting after the trophy presentation, Woods told Williams he‘d been disloyal and fired him.

The eight minute 3 News New Zealand interview with reporter Andrew Gourdie that ratcheted up the break-up tone is worth listening to as Williams sounds less scorned than his blunt quotes sound.

Steve Elling listened to the interview and points out that Williams tolerated quite a bit of guilt-by-association suggestions without fighting back.

"I, along with a lot of people, lost a lot of respect for Tiger and I pointed out before his return at the Masters at Augusta in 2010, that he had to earn back my respect," Williams said.

For months, while Woods hid from the media and licked his many public-relations wounds, Williams was painted with the same broad brush of guilt by association. Other Woods associates were linked to both the trail of women and ensuing coverup. Williams was left to twist in the wind.

"My name should have been cleared immediately," Williams said. "It wasn't and that's what makes it even more disappointing what's transpired."

When Woods returned at the Masters last year, the body language between him and Williams had changed. The camaraderie that had always been self-evident took a hit. There was a professional distance.

Now we know why.

Larry Dorman in his NY Times story says "this is quickly taking on the makings of a very ugly divorce" and recounts the parallels and lack of similarities with the Jack Nicklaus-Angelo Argea breakup. Dorman also raises the question many had today: apparently there was no NDA between Tiger and Stevie?

When he took to the airwaves, Williams ratcheted up the rhetoric on 3 News in New Zealand. This one may have started Woods wondering if the lawyers left the nondisclosure part out of the standard player-caddie contract, if there was a contract.

“You know, when I write my book, it’ll be the time I decide what I write,” Williams said. “It’ll just be one of those interesting chapters in the book.”

But just think of all the money Tiger saved by not having Stevie under strict contract that includes an NDA!

Rick Reilly tells Woods, "You're a JAG right now -- Just Another Guy." Reilly brings up quite a bit, including the frugal card.

Look, everybody knows you're the cheapest guy on tour. Some people are sure your wallet is sewn shut. I know a car valet in L.A. that you've stiffed so many times, he feels like he's full of embalming fluid. The last time he saw you, he stood in front of the car door, making small talk until you made with a fiver.

Don't be like that. Drop some coin. You'll be surprised how it improves your disposition. Karma does exist, you know.

Lawrence Donegan explains what caddies are paid these days, what Williams' arrangement might have been and explores whether Tiger will have trouble filling the position.

If a player is on the way up or on the way back, then the caddies will know before anyone else. And there is no better way to gauge what the caddies think of a player than that moment when the job of being his caddie becomes available.

That moment has arrived in the career of Tiger Woods, now accepting applications. And what is the caddies' response?

"Trust me, Lawrence," one leading member of the brethren said. "There would be a queue from Los Angeles to Miami for that job."