Steve Williams, who was on the bag for 13 of Tiger Woods’ 14 major championships and helped Adam Scott win the 2013 Masters, entered the Caddie Hall of Fame on Wednesday.
The Western Golf Association inducted the 50-year-old New Zealander into the looper’s HOF following the BMW Championship pro-am at Cherry Hills CC, honoring Williams for "his contribution in promoting caddies and their role in the game of golf."
Williams started caddying at the age of 10 and has said he planned to cut back on his bagman duties in 2015. In the interim, he will have handed the clubs to Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd in addition to Woods and Scott.
Congrats to Steve Williams who was inducted into the Caddie Hall of Fame. Bagman for Norman, Woods & Scott. Not a bad gig at all.
— Kelly Tilghman (@KellyTilghmanGC) September 4, 2014
"Steve has been on the bag for more major championship wins than any other caddie," said Golf Channel analyst Steve Sands, the award ceremony emcee. "Steve’s work embodies the caddie values of hard work, dedication and teamwork. There is no caddie more deserving of this honor."
Stevie, if Tiger’s aversion to placing calls is any indication, probably won’t be checking his cell phone for any congratulatory missed messages from his former employer, with whom he shared a rancorous breakup in 2011.
Ryder Cup
Had he not phoned Woods himself, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson may still be waiting for official word that the former No. 1, on the sidelines with a back injury, had removed himself from contention for September’s tilt at Gleneagles.
"Tiger told me when I called Tiger," Watson said during Tuesday night’s announcement of his three wild-card picks. "He didn’t call me. I called him."
Woods, out of competition until December following an aborted comeback after back surgery on March 31, referred to a conversation he had with the Americans’ skipper.
"I have already spoken to Tom [Watson] about the Ryder Cup, and while I greatly appreciate his thinking about me for a possible captain's pick, I took myself out of consideration," Woods said last month on his website.
As for Williams' current boss, Scott posted a 1-over 71 at Denver’s Cherry Hills CC, good enough for a T29, before inclement weather forced officials to suspend play in Thursday’s opening round of the BMW. The top 30 players advance to next week’s fourth and final FedEx Cup playoff event, the Tour Championship.