“Once in My Life”- Way Before Tiger Woods’ Glorious Rise, Legendary Veteran Caddie Had an Extra-Ordinary Historic Moment With the Legend in Making

Golfers and caddies have a very special relationship. It is a bond based on trust and potential that goes both ways.

Almost always it is the player who recognizes potential in their caddy, someone who can help them on the greens not only by carrying the bag but also with knowledge about the course.

It is very rare that a caddy recognizes a golfer’s potential at a very early age but then again, Steve Williams is no ordinary caddy.

With years of experience assisting epic golfers such as Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd, Steve had an innate sense of seeing past the player’s game to recognize their potential.

One such incident marked the beginning of a partnership between Williams and a future legend in the history of golf.

Steve Williams recognized the potential in a skinny kid at Augusta

On November 2nd, 2015, veteran caddy to star golfers, Steve Williams published his book ‘Out of the Rough: The Caddy Story.’

This tome consisted of information that made fans and the golfing community aware of the behind-the-scenes incidents. Truly, the book is a testament to Williams’ experience as a caddy to so many golfers who made history.

But there are also titbits providing insight into the professional potential of golfers both young and old.

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On Pages 60-61 of his book, he recalls an incident from a foggy morning in the 1996 Augusta. In the early morning, legendary golfers of the time such as Fred Couples, Williams’ former partner Greg Norman, and his then-golfer Raymond Floyd were having a practice round.

It was Tiger Woods‘ first game at the Masters, so he too joined the trio on the course.

The excerpt from his book says, “When I first saw Tiger Woods up close I had no doubt I was watching someone special – yet also completely out of my reference sphere.”

He reminisced about the day sharing how the early morning dampness in the air was hindering the ball from flying too high. Despite the heaviness in the air, Woods took his shot at the first hole, and made the ball fly above the trees so high and so far that they “didn’t see it again.”

On the second hole is when Tiger made his best impression on the legends of golf history.

There was a bunker that no one wanted to fly because “the ball was going nowhere,” owing to the dampness in the foggy morning.

Tiger Woods asked his caddy if he could fly it. Hearing this, the other golfers could barely hide their scoff. Then Woods took the shot, and lo and behold, he left the trio, and the caddy in stunned silence. No one said anything, but Steve Williams couldn’t help but admire the ‘skinny kid’ as he called Tiger Woods back in the day.

He wrote about the incident in his book fondly. “I’ve only asked for an autograph once in my life – after we walked off the 18th green that day. This was a special moment – playing with my former boss, Greg, my current boss, Raymond, and my future boss (not that I knew that at the time). I had a gut feeling I needed something to mark a memorable day and asked all four to sign a copy of the scorecard: three major champions and a kid called Tiger Woods who I thought could be quite good.”

That was a phenomenal day for the caddy who was later employed by Woods in 1999 and went on to accompany him till 2011. Their partnership was strong because Williams saw something special in The Tiger and believed in him.

The veteran caddy predicted great future for many

Apart from young Tiger Woods, Steve Williams also recognized potential in several other golfers. With time, most of them, much like Woods, proved his instincts to be spot on. Some, however, haven’t made it yet. But Steve is still waiting to be proven right.

With experience such as his, he also called the success of Adam Scott, Jason Day, and Sergio Garcia. All three Pro golfers have been extraordinary on the course. Their delivery, if not comparable to Tiger Woods, still dropped many jaws.

The Caddy’s story is a brilliant read and provides valuable insight for those who are still learning their role beside golfers.

Steve Williams is one of those caddies in golf who is just as famous as the men he worked for. The New Zealander has a unique perspective of the sport, even if he doesn’t take the swings himself.

Have you read Steve Williams’ biography yet? What do you think of his keen eye for identifying finesse in gameplay? Share with us your thoughts about the veteran caddy in the comments below.

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