Back in 2005, Tiger Woods stirred the pot at the Presidents Cup by choosing British caddie Billy Foster. His choice caused 'unrest in the camp' among the American caddies. Now, the caddie at the center of it all, Billy Foster, is revealing what Woods really said.

While speaking on The Rick Shiels Golf Show last October, Foster revealed that he was in Akron, Ohio, for the Bridgestone Tournament, "caddying for Darren Clarke," when Tiger Woods walked in and asked Clarke if Foster could be his caddie for the upcoming tournament.

Foster immediately said, “I don’t know.” However, Carke explained that Woods needed someone to carry for a week because Steve Williams’s wife was having a baby. After a brief pause, Foster said yes.

A few of the American caddies weren’t happy about a European caddying for Tiger Woods. "So I went to Tiger a few weeks later. Next time I saw him, I said, ‘Tiger, I understand there’s a bit of unrest in the camp,'" said Foster.

"They don’t want me to carry for you. He just went, 'F them, Billy. You’re caddying.' I went, 'All right, mate. Fair enough,'" Foster quipped.

That endeavour was a success for Tiger Woods, who won his Presidents Cup singles match, and the USA went on to win the tournament.

While Foster may have been his caddie only briefly, he understood Woods deeply, so much so that he believes Woods could have been the all-time great if not for his declining health

Billy Foster on Tiger Woods' fitness

"I mean, if he stayed fit from 2008, if they stayed with Butch (Harmon) first and foremost, and if he stayed fit, you’re looking at a guy that had won 25 to 30 majors. It’s a travesty. He’s only won 15. He would have won 120 playing left-handed; he was that good," Billy Foster said during his conversation for On the Road with Iona.

Tiger Woods might be one of the most influential golfers of all time, but his numerous surgeries never let him surpass Jack Nicklaus. Woods finished with 15 major titles, while Nicklaus remains ahead with 18.

He underwent seven back surgeries between 2004 and 2025; his most recent surgery was back in October 2025.

In addition to that, he also dealt with multiple knee and leg procedures, from a 2002 ACL issue to a 2025 Achilles rupture. He met with a car accident back in February 2021.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi