I knew nothing, declares Woods caddie
World-respected American sports columnist Rick Reilly recently claimed he found it “hard to believe” that Woods’ caddie, agent and close friends knew nothing of the player’s “transgressions”.
But the New Zealander, who has carried the world number one’s bag for the last decade, yesterday stressed he played no part in covering up the infidelities.
“I had no knowledge of what Tiger’s indiscretion was,” Williams said.
“I am an honest person. I had no knowledge of what was going on. If I did, I would say I did.”
He continued: “What people fail to realise is I just work for Tiger Woods.
“I live in New Zealand, I travel to and from New Zealand to caddie for Tiger Woods. I am not with him 24/7. Whilst I am a very good friend of his... I don’t know what he does off the course. Some nights we go to dinner. His indiscretions have probably been when he wasn’t playing.
“When he is not competing, I am back in New Zealand. I have no knowledge of what he is doing.
“Yes, I talk to him on the phone, ask him how his practice is going, how he is hitting the ball, how his family is, but I don’t know what he is doing, just like he doesn’t know what I am doing.”
Williams backed Woods’ decision to focus his attention on saving his marriage and remains committed to the troubled star.
“Tiger just said he needs a break and I don’t want to put any pressure on the guy,” he said. “He will know in his mind, and his family will know in their mind, when it is the right time for him to return to playing golf.”
He added: “I have always stated that my last caddie job will be caddying for Tiger. I am committed to him. I understand he needs a break to sort his personal stuff out.”
Meanwhile, Peter Alliss, for many people the voice of golf, believes that if Woods does not play for the next six months, he might never play again.
Alliss, a former Ryder Cup player who has been television’s best-known commentator on the game for over 30 years, has described Woods as being in “dreadful turmoil” and just wonders what the future holds.
“I don’t envy anybody involved in this – it’s all very horrid and very public,” the 78-year-old said.
“It must be remembered that this is the time of the year when he has in the past taken time off.
“He’s seldom played in tournaments in the month of January or February – occasionally he’s popped out and played one or two – but usually Tiger’s year begins in earnest about the middle of March. But if he doesn’t play for the first six months next year, he might have decided he’s come to the end of the road.
“He’s going to have to put up with a lot of nonsense and ridicule and comment for the next 20 to 30 years and it depends how well he tackles that.”
Alliss continued: “He’s got very few friends in my opinion. Very few people have got into the inner sanctum, so nobody really knows him.”
European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie believes the scandals surrounding the game’s best player “will impact on every tournament Tiger plays”.
He said: “Let’s hope the tabloid press finishes quickly and we get on supporting good golf. He is suddenly, I hate to say, more normal now.
“There is a mystique which has been lost now and let’s hope that golf isn’t damaged by that – and it shouldn’t be.”
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