KEY POINTS:
Steve Williams' description of US golfer Phil Mickelson - he called him a name commonly applied to the male appendage - was naive and unthinking but I am so much in Williams' corner after his million dollar donation to rebuild the Starship Hospital children's cancer ward last year
that, hell, he can call me a p**** too, if he likes.
However, big Steve, Kiwi caddie for Tiger Woods, might want to do some repair work on his image in the USA where they like Phil.
It's not true of other players - some gave him the nickname FIGJAM (which stands for 'F***, I'm Good, Just Ask Me...') - but the US fans are fond of Phil, his goofy smile and have-a-go golf.
Williams made the remark at a charity dinner in Taranaki. That's charity, folks, as in doing something for others. I have no idea whether Steve got paid or not but it doesn't matter - his presence was raising money for the less advantaged and that's way more important than Phil Mickelson's wounded ego.
However, Williams' naivete - a remark to a gathering is no more private than pumping it out over NewstalkZB - was vast. Even worse, he told a joke about Mickelson - how a fan yelled until he attracted Mickelson's attention: "Excuse me, Mr Mickelson." When the amply-built Mickelson turned around, the fan said: "Nice tits". Mickelson scornfully dismissed the story, saying another golfer had been involved. Most people know this story as pertaining to Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie.
All this reminds me of the tale about Lee Majors - the guy who played Steve Austin in The Six Million Dollar Man (in the days when six million bucks was a lot of money) at a dinner. Seated next to him was a tall, dark stranger.
"What do you do?" Majors asked. "I used to be King in Greece," came the reply, for it was King Constantine, dethroned by a military junta.
"That's strange," said Majors, "I don't remember there being a part for a king in Grease" - showing he might have pulled 80s heart-throb Farrah Fawcett but was still one seat short of a full cinema.
Williams' gaffe is of the same general order of lack of awareness but it's not always a bad thing if golf's mask slips every now and then.
Golf's manners and etiquette and code of gentlemanly conduct are refreshing in an era heavily populated by crassness and grab-it-alls. But too much refinement can make Jack a dull boy and Williams' crime was in saying openly what some privately think.
Sports is all about rivalry and no one would suggest all golfers like each other. The rivalry and coolness between Woods and Mickelson is well known but, in keeping with golf's code, neither gives vent to it publicly.
Woods talked to Williams about this issue and doubtless made his displeasure known but those who forecast that Williams would be fired - Woods' previous caddie 'Fluff' Cowan was apparently dumped partly because he got too big for his boots - were way off beam.
Woods and Williams have been through too much and Williams has performed a highly useful role, both as a caddie and a kind of security guard cum bouncer. Williams is a big man, of intimidating demeanour, and his aggressive policing of Woods' space and mental sanctity has not earned him many friends - but has worked a treat for Tiger.
Williams once famously threw a photographer's camera in a lake after the click came at the wrong moment and he is perceived by some as a bit of a bully.
He may have mellowed but frankly I don't much care if he behaves like Attila the Hun if he's going to do things like donate a million bucks to Starship. Also, too few sportspeople say anything of any real moment and they'll say even less if supposedly private moments are made public.
But that's life - and Williams would do well to consider his image now. He is copping it from sportswriters who haven't enjoyed his behaviour and, in blog-land, the poison is dripping into the wound. Some are pointing out that, at 44, he still thinks it is funny to stand next to someone and break wind.
"Don't go making Mickelson into some kind of angel just because of Tiger's low-class caddie..." came one response to a column on the CBS Sports website entitled 'Stench lingers from Stevie's latest gas emissions'.
"I've observed Williams act arrogant all the time on the golf course, most notably yelling at people, demanding they give up their camera... Williams is who he is (famous) only because of who he caddies for," said a further response.
Another wrote: "Williams is being seen for what he is, (deleted for legal reasons) who is making a living off of Tiger and quite possibly the luckiest man in America. Tiger doesn't need the potty mouth jerk ruining his reputation and Phil sure as hell doesn't give a damn what this guy thinks of him."
So a bit of ground to make up, then. Williams clearly has a heart but he is finding out that even donating a million smackers to cancer kids won't help your image if you are seen to be sticking the knife into a favoured son.
He might also need to look at the fact that Woods is closing in on the title of the greatest golfer ever. He will want to beat Jack Nicklaus' record marks in style, with dignity and grace - and with barely a mention of private parts.