Williams not a racist, insists Norman

GREG NORMAN insists his former caddie Steve Williams is not a racist and that Adam Scott was right not to fire him for a remark he made about Tiger Woods in Shanghai last week.

Williams made a derogatory comment about his former employer Woods at the annual Caddie Awards dinner in China on Friday after receiving the prize for the season’s best celebration after Scott’s Bridgestone Invitational win. Before helping Woods win 13 major titles, the New Zealander had worked with Norman for seven years, and the Australian said he thought his former caddie had mistakenly thought he was in a “restricted environment” when he made the remark.

“Steve’s not a racist, not at all,” the 56-year-old former world number said ahead of the Australian Open.

“We’ve all made stupid comments at stupid times, unfortunately his stupid comment became global news and I know he probably regrets it. But I guarantee you in that room, that night, there were some heavier things said.

“Because of the temperature of what was going on between the two of them, anything that was said was going to exacerbate that feeling. I hope it gets resolved. Golf doesn’t need it, golf needs Tiger back playing great golf the way he used to. Golf needs the cohesiveness that’s always existed. There’s always been underlying currents, not everybody loves each other, and if we dislike each other, we just have a tendency of parting our ways and not seeing each other.

“To have it played out the way it has been sad for the game of golf.”

Asked directly whether golf was a racist sport, Norman was dismissive.

“No, not at all, never seen it,” he said. “Never seen it at all.”

Scott and Woods will both play at the Australian Open at the Lakes Golf Club this week before lining up on opposite sides at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne next week.

Norman, the captain of the international side at the Presidents Cup, said he did not think Williams would be an issue between the two players and backed Scott’s decision to stand by his caddy.

“Adam’s a professional,” he said. “Whatever Steve’s said was Steve’s opinion, not Adam’s. Steve obviously does a great job for Adam because Adam’s been playing some great golf since Steve’s been on his bag. I don’t think there’s any issue between Tiger and Adam at all.”

Norman acknowledged there could be some awkwardness when Woods crosses paths with Williams this week.

“Does he like to hear the things that run around? No, of course he doesn’t but he’s a strong-minded professional and I don’t see him having problems with it at all,” Norman said.

“He’ll walk by Steve and who knows what happens? He’ll have prepared himself in his mind much as Steve has prepared himself in his mind so ... it’s all done, it’s been said, it’s in the past.”

Scott said: “I have discussed this matter directly with Steve and he understands and supports my view on this subject. I also accept Steve’s apology, knowing he meant no racial slur with his comments.”