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The caddie’s instincts sometimes make a champion! And one of golf’s greatest collabs turned this into reality. In a revealing throwback, Steve Williams shares his crucial role in Tiger Woods‘ legendary 2008 US Open win. As Woods’ former caddie of 12 years, he sheds light on the bold move that made all the difference. Meanwhile, his 2015 memoir reveals the behind-the-scenes story of their iconic partnership.

That gutsy move came on the 72nd hole at Torrey Pines, where Williams convinced Woods to ignore the yardage book and trust his instincts on club selection. “I convinced Tiger to ignore the yardage book and hit the club I felt would deliver the best outcome. It was a hell of a discussion, but my gut feeling on how he would execute that shot proved correct,” recalled the 60 year-old-caddie in his book, Out of the Rough: Inside the Ropes with the World’s Greatest Golfers on Page 28.

It was a pivotal moment, as Woods needed a birdie for a playoff spot. Consequently, Woods’ trust in the caddie’s instincts paid off, as he sank a 15-foot birdie putt on 18 to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate. Mediate, however, missed a putt to save par at the 19th hole and Woods took advantage, sealing his 14th major victory in a sudden death hole. Ultimately, Williams’ decision and Woods sticking with it led the pair to the coveted US Open title, their last major win jointly.

In hindsight, Williams’ decision proved even more crucial, as he reflected, “ If he’d gone with the normal club for that yardage he’d probably have hit the ball too far and given himself a much tougher birdie putt.” The caddie’s decision-making and feel for the game proved invaluable in that moment. This incident showcased the pair’s trust and chemistry, a key factor in their 12-year partnership.

Steve Williams and Tiger Woods
REU8512935 TIGER WOODS AND NEW CADDY STEVE WILLIAMS, 1999-03-20 (photo); (add.info.: Tiger Woods stands with his caddy Steve Williams (L) on the 10th fairway at the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Florida March 20. Woods just made the cut for the third round, giving him a streak of having made 25 consecutive tournaments cuts.
CWL/RC/ME); REUTERS.

As Woods acknowledged, the win was a surprise even to him: “I don’t know how it even got this far, but I’m very, very fortunate to have played 91 holes and come out on top.” This sentiment sets the stage for understanding the unlikely nature of Woods’ win at the 2008 US Open.

Tiger Woods’ unlikely win at Torrey Pines

The odds were against Tiger Woods from the start. He had not played a competitive round in 2 months and 2 weeks, and his ailing left knee was a constant concern. Moreover, his opening round of one-over-par 73 did little to inspire confidence. It was an inauspicious beginning to a week that would ultimately end in triumph.

The 83x PGA Tour champ in the post Tournament presser, reiterated, “I dealt with a few things this week and just had to keep plugging along. I wasn’t feeling my best, I didn’t get off to the greatest of starts and when I finally got off to a good start (in the play-off), I screwed that up by finding the bunker on three.”

The severity of Woods’ knee injury became clear after the tournament when he announced that he would undergo season-ending surgery. Moreover, the bond between Woods and Williams proved to be the winning formula, for their iconic partnership in golf history. Do you remember this classic incident from the 2008 US Open?

Tiger Woods is preparing for his 23rd appearance in The Open, which will get underway on Thursday.

Tiger Woods is back in Scotland as he prepares to feature in his 23rd Open Championship at Royal Troon. And one of his security guards was seen exploding at a photographer on Sunday as the 48-year-old played a full round to get a feel for the course.

Woods is one of the greatest golfers to ever grace the sport and has won a remarkable 15 major trophies throughout his illustrious career.

He tasted glory at The Open in 2000, 2005 and 2006 but missed the cut when he last played in the tournament two years ago.

At just after 7am on Sunday morning, Woods arrived in Scotland in a private jet having flown over the Atlantic overnight.

And his practice round was witnessed by a reporter from golf outlet Bunkered, who saw the blockbuster star playing alone alongside new caddie Lance Bennett.

Woods was followed by three security guards during his round, with two flanking him and one shadowing him closely behind.

Tiger Woods 

On the seventh tee, one of the security trio told off marshalls for allowing people inside the course ropes when they shouldn’t have been there. And on the 16th green, the same man loudly reprimanded a photographer for being too close to the golfer as he exclaimed: “With that lens, you can see him from way over there.”

Woods won his last major trophy in 2019 as he won the US Masters by one stroke ahead of Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele.

But he is a shadow of his former self on the course these days and missed the cuts at the PGA Championship and US Open earlier this year. And he has been told by golf icon Colin Montgomerie to bring the curtain down on his playing career.

“I hope people remember Tiger as Tiger was, the passion and the charismatic aura around him,” the 61-year-old explained to The Times at the end of last week. “There is none of that now. At Pinehurst, he did not seem to enjoy a single shot and you think ‘What the hell is he doing?’ He’s coming to Troon and he won’t enjoy it there either.

“Aren’t we there? I’d have thought we were past there. There is a time for all sportsmen to say goodbye but it’s very difficult to tell Tiger it’s time to go. Obviously, he still feels he can win. We are more realistic.

“These guys [watching golf for the first time] only know Tiger Woods missing the cut and he’s better than that, the best we’ve ever seen.”

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