Golf: Caddy - more than a bag man

Steve Williams won fame caddying for Tiger Woods. Photo / Janna Dixon

Kiwi caddy agrees to get back on the bag as former employer’s career hits rough patch.

When Adam Scott made the call to Steve Williams, it was like a public declaration from one of the world's best golfers about the importance of caddies.

Scott's game is in some trouble and his key solution is to get Williams, who won fame with Tiger Woods, back on his bag.

There's no scientific way of measuring a caddy's influence, but Williams provides an interesting test case.

There are a few reasons why Woods' career has unravelled, including injury, but he won 13 majors with Williams alongside and none since the pair parted company. With the big Kiwi prowling the fairways, Woods even managed to win the 2008 US Open - his last major triumph - on a busted leg.

In an interview with Golf Digest, Williams recalled feeling queasy as he heard the "sickening click of bones rubbing together" as they trudged Torrey Pines. Woods rightly won acclaim for that courageous performance, but Williams must have played a significant part in nursing his golfer to victory.

Scott is ailing, although in a different way. Williams' influence on the Australian is undeniable - Scott's unfulfilled potential became a thing of the past as he won a major and briefly held the No1 ranking in mid-2014 with his mate on the bag. Without Williams, Scott has quickly hit the skids, prompting the call which will see Williams quit retirement for three majors and one other tournament this year.

Adam Scott won his only major, the 2013 US Masters, with Steve Williams as his caddy. Photo / AP

"It does in a way ... some caddies are better than others," replies Williams, when asked if Scott's SOS call was a form of rare public recognition for the contribution of caddies.

He had been mystified over the years as to why Scott could not break through and wanted to see if he could make a difference. And he did.

While his time with Greg Norman, who he teamed with as an 18-year-old, provided Williams with his greatest education, and the run with Woods will go down in history, Williams says the player he has helped most is Scott.

It took a while for the pair to find their groove, though - perhaps six to eight months.

"You need to go through all the experiences to get to that point, the times of playing poorly, dealing with the pressure," says Williams.

"The relationship with every golfer is different. You need to learn their quirks and mood swings ... you even change how loudly you talk, the tone of the voice, even how close you walk next to the player."

Woods' extraordinary fame and Williams' booming persona brought the golfer-caddy deal into the spotlight like never before, from their success on the course to the unfortunate break-up. But while most players conduct their careers under far less scrutiny, the relationship between golfer and caddy has long been a subject of conjecture and study. It might be the most interesting and potentially volatile in all sport and can be ended by either party in a flash.

American Jessica Korda fired her caddy of a year during the 2013 US Open, getting her boyfriend to step out of the gallery and take over after the ninth hole. At the 2007 Canadian Open, Jay Williamson's caddy hurled his balls into a pond and departed with four holes to play.

Complicating matters, it is also a business relationship.

In a Golf Digest segment last year, a mystery player revealed how his long-time caddy, who had become a family friend, fired him in tournament week because he had received a better offer.

"I was shocked. We'd had some bad weeks, but I didn't see this coming. We shook hands, then I grabbed my bag and carried it to the car ... a moment like this can ring your bell," the golfer recalled.

Jack Nicklaus attributed some of his success to caddy Angelo Argea. Photo / AP

It went a lot deeper financially in one high-profile case. Fastidious South African superstar Gary Player was sued for $1 million by former caddy Dave King over an allegedly unpaid loan. They settled out of court.

Other legends have happier memories. Jack Nicklaus, the finest golfer ever, won about 40 tournaments with a former taxi driver named Angelo Argea on his bag. On Argea's death, Nicklaus suggested their rapport was as important, if not more so, than the information Argea provided.

"I think it is as important - or more important - that the player and caddy have compatible personalities," Nicklaus told Golf Today. "Angelo and I always had a very good rapport. He had a personality and was a lot of fun to be around."

In other words, there are far more than 14 clubs in a caddy's bag of tricks. When it came to Woods, Williams was also something of a bodyguard and enforcer, building a fearsome reputation for protecting the global superstar from the intrusions of photographers and others. While Woods was a special case, backing your man or woman is a philosophy for caddies at all levels in Williams' book.

Williams could even be seen telling a bunch of prospects to "support that pro" on Sky's Holden Golf World this week.

"Give him some encouragement - pros love encouragement. Pump them up," he urged. "Keep telling them how good they are. They love that sort of thing. Sometimes they aren't ... but you're trying to get a pay cheque."

Money is no longer the prime object for Williams, thanks to three decades of extraordinary success and associated pay-days. He returns to Scott's camp to help a friend find his best form again. He believes restoring Scott's confidence is a key.

Knowing the job through and through, doing the homework, builds your own confidence, says Williams. And if you've got plenty of that magic ingredient yourself, it rubs off on the golfer.

He says the relationship benefits if it works as a partnership, rather than an employer-employee situation. Williams' style and success has been built on a forceful personality.

The next few months will provide an interesting view of what a larger-than-life caddy can do, as Williams returns to the biggest tournaments alongside the struggling Scott.