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‘Take Your F**King Hand off That’: On the Verge of Potential Disgrace, Tiger Woods’ Actions Left His Former Caddie in a State of Panic, He Once Revealed in His Book

Published 06/06/2023, 8:32 AM EDT

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via Reuters

Steve Williams is one of the most renowned caddies in the golf fraternity. He has caddied for big names in golf such as Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, and most recently, Jason Day. One of Williams’ most talked-about professional relationships is with the five-time Masters champion, which lasted for around 12 years. Despite their good and long run together, the two have been through a lot of ups and downs in their journey together.

In 2015, Williams came out with his memoir, Out of the Rough: Inside the Ropes with the World’s Greatest Golfers. In there he revealed how he was once left in a state of sheer panic during the third day of the major tournament because of Tiger Woods himself!

Steve Williams once revealed how Tiger Woods’ actions led to him panicking

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In his memoir, Williams shares an anecdote on pages 84–87 from the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach. Although Woods emerged victorious in the tournament, he was almost disqualified from the major tournament because of his caddie, or at least that is what Steve Williams thought.

The second round of the tournament was postponed until Saturday because of fog. The 15-time major champion had played 12 holes on Friday, and he had to play the remaining 6 holes on Saturday in the early morning. Unlike other golfers, Woods did not keep his prized possessions, such as his clubs, balls, and putters, in the locker room. He used to keep them with him in his car, but during the 2000 US Open, he was staying in the lodge on the course, so he did not have his car. At the end of the second day, Williams brought the golfer’s bag to his room.

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On Saturday morning, fulfilling his duties, the author took Wood’s bag, and the duo skipped their pre-round routine because it was too early. When they reached the 13th to resume the previous day’s round, Williams’ world came crashing down. He remembered keeping six balls in there, but when he put his hand inside the bag, there were only three. Prying to God that 3 balls were enough, Woods’ caddie was in a state of panic as he thought that if 3 balls did not end up being enough, the golfer would get disqualified from the US Open.

USA Today via Reuters

At the 14th hole, Woods tossed the ball to the young fan, and Steve’s heart was in his mouth as his panic spiked up. Just with 2 balls remaining, the 82-time PGA Tour winner played the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes. But on the 18th, he popped the question to his caddie, “Do you like drivers?”

The question was tricky, as on one side, the ball could end up in the ocean, and on the other side, it could end up out of bounds. Woods hooked the second-last ball onto the rocks on the beach. As he handed over the last ball to the golfer, Williams put the golfer’s drivers back in the bag as a sign that Woods may opt for a 2-iron and play for safety and still take a gigantic lead into the third round. But the golf legend was keen on the driver.

“Take your f**king hand off that,” he said telling the caddie to let go of his driver because that is what he would be using. Despite William’s efforts to not let the golfer hit the driver, he was adamant. Panicking at the situation, as Woods was preparing to hit the driver, the author did all the possible calculations in his head in case the ball was lost. Fortunately the GOAT eventually reached the end of the greens with following a bogey.

Why was the incident Woods’ fault though? Well it was because of what happened Friday night!

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Where did those three golf balls go?

The golfer has a habit of practicing his putting skills in the hotel room. On Friday night, that is what the golfer did. He took three balls out to practice his putting and forgot to put them back in the bag. And Williams did not notice the balls on the floor because of the early wake-up call on Saturday morning.

via Imago

Well, we are glad the balls did not come short; otherwise, Woods would have incurred a two-stroke penalty. What are your thoughts about this incident? Do let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Riya Singhal

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Riya Singhal is a promising golf writer at EssentiallySports. She was recently recruited in the latest round of ‘ES Draft’ as one of the young writers with a strong passion for golf writing. Despite being in her early days, Riya has already showcased exceptional talent in her coverage of the sport, with her article on Brooks Koepka's kind gesture towards a young fan after his Masters loss quickly rising to the top of the charts.
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Edited by:

Sheldon Pereira

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