Right now, Tiger Woods has very few problems aside from rehabbing his surgically repaired knee.
But Woods does have one cross to bear. He's got a caddie with an over inflated ego and an awfully big mouth. A caddie who knows little about tact, class or conducting yourself with a sense of decorum.
Steve Williams, Woods' longtime looper, has always been a bit of a bore. There have been numerous episodes over the years when Williams confronted or intimidated spectators when he felt their conduct had aggrieved either him or his boss Woods. Justified or not, Williams seemed to relish playing the role of bully and getting into the face of a flustered fan.
Because the stakes are huge in the world of professional golf, I understand a caddie must protect his golfer's interests and do his biding. But there are ways to go about handling a fan's possible indiscretion and ways not to do so. Williams appears to prefer using extreme measures when dealing with such an encounter.
Williams has always come off as a bit of a punk and a surly enforcer, short on patience and sorely lacking in common courtesy. If anyone could be considered a thug on the course, Williams would be the closest to it.
What makes Williams even more intolerable is the aura of arrogance he emits. The guy really cops an attitude that screams I'm a person of great worth and substance. It's as if Williams believes he's made a monumental contribution to the world. For what, carrying someone's bag?
Let's be honest. Virtually no one would have heard of Steve Williams if he hadn't affixed himself to Woods' star. Most of what Williams has or has achieved is because of the efforts of someone else. Woods has done most of the heavy lifting and good old Stevie boy has basically been along for the ride.
Now listen, I realize that caddies work extremely hard and can be a great asset to those for whom they labor. A sharp and savvy caddie can be invaluable and save his charge critical strokes. But in the grand scheme of things, it's not exactly an occupation of great importance. Life or death doesn't hinge on whether a caddie gave a pro the correct yardage on a shot, told him the right club to use or pointed out the exact line of a putt.
Williams should appreciate that fact. Instead of coming off like a pompous jerk, the native New Zelander should be eternally grateful for the good fortune that's come his way. Thanks to Woods, he's made a boatload of cash. Moreover, Williams travels first class, enjoys the best of accommodations and benefits from toiling under great working conditions.
Given all that he's received, again much of it directly attributable to Woods, you'd think Williams would be a bit more circumspect, low-key and humble. You'd think he'd fly a little lower on the radar screen. But not the ego-driven Kiwi. He seems to like stirring it up and drawing attention to himself. Why else the more than infrequent run-ins with fans, the media and even tour officials?
So it came as no surprise, when in a very public setting recently, Williams did what he might do best. Agitate and create controversy. On this occasion, Williams felt the need to once again slam Phil Mickelson and use a derogatory and demeaning term to describe the gifted lefty.
Everyone knows there's no love lost between the Mickelson and Woods camps. For whatever reasons and who really knows about these things except the parties involved, the relationship between the two elite golfers is frosty and strained.
But that doesn't mean it's got to get nasty. Or has to descend into the cesspool which is exactly where Williams put it. It's possible not to embrace someone and still have the requisite respect for them that their achievements and status dictates. Plus, by most all accounts, Phil Michelson is more than a decent guy. It's Williams you've got to wonder about.
If Williams wants to bash Phil behind closed doors, that's his business. If he keeps his venom private, there's probably little harm in that and no real foul committed.
Yet, there's no excuse for taking that kind of animus and injecting it into a public forum, at a charity event no less, where it will be reported and widely disseminated. That's upping the stakes dramatically. By doing so, Williams revealed himself to be small, petty and just plain rude.
Once the you-know-what hit the fan and the fallout from Williams' inexcusable remarks can raining down on him, he attempted to sluff it off by claiming the comments were made in fun and that no malice was intended.
Sorry Steve, but most of us aren't buying into that lame excuse. It just won't wash.
You wouldn't have backtracked one iota if there had been no outcry over the slop that spilled from your mouth. Only when you were criticized and vilified for your utterance, did you feel the need to explain yourself. When forced to face up to his error, the bully turned whimp and tried to minimize what he said instead of accepting full responsibility for it.
Upon being made aware of the situation, Woods issued a tepid statement in which he merely expressed disappointment with Williams. Woods also indicated he'd spoken to the caddie and that the episode had been dealt with.
But to this reporter, that response was nowhere near sufficient. A more appropriate reaction would have been for Woods to have much more forcefully condemned Williams. Tiger then should have offered sincere and profuse apologies to Mickelson.
Handling this fiasco on the QT, as Woods did, was a token half-measure at best. By giving this episode nothing more than lip service, one must wonder about Woods' motives. On the surface, it looks as if Tiger is trying to downplay the event. What he did amounted to no more than a slap on the wrist when sterner punishment was merited.
Williams' actions disgraced not only himself but it reflected very poorly on the man who employs him. Given that fact, one would have thought Woods might have brought the hammer down. Instead, he let Williams off rather easily.
But Williams won't be treated so tamely in the court of public opinion. His already questionable and suspect reputation has been stained even further. The perception of him being a boob and a bit of a horse's behind has been reinforced.
If he's smart, Williams should start attempting to keep things on the down low. But given his rather combative nature, he's probably not capable of such restraint. For Williams, it might be a case of once a fool, always a fool.
Stay tuned for his latest gaffe. Most likely, you won't have to wait long.