Unlike his former and perhaps the most famous employer, Steve Williams thinks LIV Golf is good for the future. Speaking to Kiwi radio host Dom Harvey, Tiger Woods’s former caddie believes the upstart league provides more options for viewers. Williams had looped for the former World No. 1 during his 72 PGA Tour victories and 13 Majors before Woods unceremoniously fired him over a phone call.

Notably, Williams has caddied for Greg Norman, the CEO of LIV Golf, in his early years. But his comment doesn’t stem from any sympathy for his Australian employer. Rather, the veteran looper firmly believes that LIV Golf was a necessary disruptor in the game.

Steve Williams doesn’t agree with Tiger Woods

The breakaway side has been mired in controversy since its inception. The 54-hole no-cut format, coupled with shotgun starts and gazillions of dollars thrown at players, irked a lot of traditional golf fans. The Kiwi caddie contends, “It’s a different concept. They’ve been paid extraordinary amounts of money. And there’s been a lot of controversy over it.” Jon Rahm found himself in the thick of it all after reportedly switching sides for $500 million.

Rahm, though, won’t get any world-ranking points as the OWGR didn’t recognize the PIF-funded side for their radically different format. Ironically, Joaquin Niemann, after a thrilling playoff victory at Mayakoba, slipped to 74th from 66th in the World Ranking. Commenting on that, Williams said, “Because those players that have defected to the LIV Tour, they don’t get any world ranking points so… their world ranking slides down.”

Regardless, the veteran caddie said, “Probably, I think in the long run, it’s gonna be great for the game.” Williams believes it would provide “a different playing field and a different atmosphere for tournaments and gives fans a different option.” Greg Norman-fronted league bills it as ‘Golf but louder.’ For the fans, the vibe is significantly different, with a gala atmosphere at every event. Furthermore, with two of the last four Major winners on their expanded roster, LIV Golf has a stronger field than last year. Williams’s comments, though, stand in sharp contrast to what Woods has said over the years. 

Terming it confusing, the 15-time Major winner has disapproved of LIV Golf since its genesis. While announcing the launch of TGL, an indoor golf tournament floated by Rory McIlroy, and himself, the 15-time Major winner said, “Some of the stuff I’ve seen in LIV … I couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on”. In fact, Woods is also opposed to bringing back LIV golfers without some sort of repercussion, as sources told Golf Digest. 

Read More: Years After Defaming Tiger Woods’s Major Wins, Steve Williams Accuses Media of Twisting His Remarks