Monday, August 8, 2011

Steve Williams Should Know a Caddy's Place: Behind the Bag not in the Spotlight

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Steve Williams, Adam ScottThe older among you will remember Janet Webb, if perhaps not by name. To explain to younger readers: she was the gushing woman who used to run on at the end of the Morecambe and Wise Show to thank everyone for watching her show, to the bemusement of Eric and Ern, who had just done all the hard work.

I couldn't help thinking of Janet when watching the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament in Akron, Ohio and then hearing the comments of Steve Williams after a breathtaking piece of scene-stealing.

"I have won 145 times and that is the best win of my life," he said and it was indeed quite some victory. For it was achieved without Williams even hitting a ball.

Just who is this man who managed to beat the very best? Actually, he is the caddy who carried the bag for the real winner of the event, Adam Scott, for the first time, having been recently dumped by Tiger Woods.

"A lot has been said this week and it is great to back it up," Williams went on to say. "I back myself as a front-runner as a caddy and I have won again."

He has won again? It may be amusing to hear caddies respond with "we" when asked how their man did but this was ridiculous.

It was clearly intended as a dig at Woods, who won 13 of his 14 Majors with Williams on the bag. Hell, it seems, hath no fury to compare with Williams spurned after being badly treated, he felt, despite sticking by Woods through all the tacky controversy of the last couple of years.

Williams may have a point and deserved to be allowed to express it following his split with Woods. He should not, however, be building up his part and taking attention away from new employer Scott's achievement. Nor should he run away with the idea that he is somehow part of the talent.

As Woods quietly but pointedly remarked a week ago: "I think I have been pretty good for Steve's career, as well." Made him a millionaire, in fact, without the bloke having to show any sporting prowess.

It must be tough for Woods currently, knowing that he has been one of the greatest of sporting talents but having to work his way back to pre-eminence after his fall from grace and subsequent injury. He also has to bite his tongue while Williams has the first laugh.

This week sees the final Major of the year, the United States PGA Championship in Atlanta. The talk, at least on this side of the pond, will - once again - be whether Luke Donald and Lee Westwood have it in them finally to turn consistency and money-accumulating ability into a Major win.

Woods, meanwhile, will simply be expected to continue his recovery after his only average return to action in Akron.

On the basis, though, that the spotlight prefers the true talent to those who come on comically to try and claim it, I expect Woods to have the last laugh some time soon. If it is not in Georgia this week, then maybe there next April at the Masters ...

 

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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/08/08/steve-williams-should-know-a-caddys-place-behind-the-bag-not-i/

Paul Casey

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