Steve Williams is opening up about a key moment in his split from Tiger Woods. 

When you think of the most iconic partnerships in golf, you remember Tiger Woods and Steve Williams. They worked together for 13 years, winning 13 major championships and more than 80 tournaments worldwide.

But like every long run, it came with its share of ups and downs, and 2011 became the turning point.

In a YouTube shorts shared by Dom Harvey on April 1, 2025, Williams explained how caddying for Adam Scott during the 2011 U.S. Open week, despite his wife warning him against it, changed everything.

"My wife [Williams] said, ‘No, if Tiger doesn’t want you to caddy, you shouldn’t caddy.’ And I should have listened to it because, you know, arguably, I'd still be caddying for him till this day."

Williams travelled to the U.S. Open expecting to caddy for Tiger Woods, but Woods was ruled out with a leg injury.

“I had left here on a Saturday with the intention that Tiger was playing in the tournament… and when I arrived there, I found out that he wasn’t going to play,” Williams recalled.

Not long after, Adam Scott called and asked Williams to caddy for him. Williams said he checked with Woods first and was told it was fine, so they continued on to Washington, D.C. 

But the text that came after told a different story. “I get a message from Tiger’s manager saying Tiger would rather you not caddy in the U.S. Open for Adam.”

Looking back, Williams said he understands the request now. At the time, he didn’t think the decision would carry long-term consequences. 

How the Tiger Woods and Steve Williams Relationship Changed After the Split

After their professional split, Woods and Williams did not speak for 12 years. They reconnected in 2023 after running into each other at a hotel during the Los Angeles Open, and both later described it as a friendly conversation.

In Together We Roared, a book Williams co-authored, he wrote that they have rebuilt their friendship and look back on their time together with appreciation. 

Williams has also said that time helped ease the distance between them, and he added that he would be open to caddying again if Woods ever asked.

Even after they went their separate ways, Williams has continued to point to Woods’ drive as a constant throughout his career. 

“Tiger had a goal, and that was to surpass Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majors,” Williams said. “He was never going to stop working hard, even to this day, even as we speak.”

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu