Steve Williams' estimated net worth of $20 million enables him to buy state-of-the-art automobiles, but he also received a limited-edition Ford GT40 as a gift from his longtime employer, Tiger Woods, over two decades ago.

During his appearance on the March 30, 2025, episode of The DOM HARVEY Podcast, Williams revealed that there were only two such cars in his home country of New Zealand. He also stated that a casual 2004 conversation with Woods, when he was playing the Dubai Desert Classic, led to him receiving the gift.

On a Sunday amid the tournament, Woods and Williams tuned in to the Ford Open finals in Miami. It's winner Craig Perry also bagged a Ford GT along with the winning prize money, which prompted the Ford enthusiast in Williams to ask Woods to participate in the tournament.

The following year, Woods battled Phil Mickelson in the finals and won the tournament. However, he gifted the Ford GT40 he won to Williams.  

Woods' longtime Caddie described, "As we’re walking off the green, Tiger just chucked the car keys. No word spoken. So I had that Ford GT delivered in Oregon, where I was living when I was in America, [and then] shipped home here to New Zealand."

This model was built as a modern tribute to the Ford GT40, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s.

It used a mid-mounted 5.4-liter supercharged V8 producing 550 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque, with a price of around $140,000 to $150,000.

Williams still considers it one of the most memorable surprises of his life, but the bonding between the two that prompted Woods to gift him a car wasn't built in a day.

Steve Williams and Tiger Woods Partnership

Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams worked together for 12 years, from 1999 to 2011, and their run produced results that shaped modern golf. 

During that time, Williams was on the bag for 13 of Woods’ 15 major titles, including the 2000–01 stretch when Woods won all four majors in a row. Along with that major success, they also teamed up for 63 PGA Tour victories.

Despite everything they achieved together, the partnership ended in July 2011 when Woods told Steve Williams they would no longer work together. 

The split became more complicated because Williams had briefly caddied for Adam Scott with Woods’ permission while injuries sidelined Woods.

Williams later said he was caught off guard by the decision and felt disappointed that their time together finished that way.

After their split, Woods and Steve Williams went 12 years without speaking. However, they reconnected in 2023 and later repaired their relationship. Williams said he now reflects on their time together with respect.

Do you know about any other similar instance of a caddie receiving such a high-value present from their employer?

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Souvik Roy