Steve Williams is a world-renowned caddie and for all the right reasons. But you might also remember him from the infamous firing incident he had with Tiger Woods. The 15-time major winner fired Williams after 12 years of service after the 2011 US Open. That did not demotivate the veteran caddie, as he continued to do what he loved and even wrote a book, Out of the Rough: Inside the Ropes with the World’s Greatest Golfers, that came out in 2015. This was his memoir, which consisted of moments from inside the ropes from his time caddying for the golf greats. Successful stints have now helped Steve Williams to have a net worth of $20 million.

Based on his extensive experience, Williams shares the surprising key to his success in his memoir. Notably, this strategy was often employed with none other than Tiger Woods himself, revealing a fascinating dynamic between the two.

Steve Williams played mind games to be fearless

In his book, the 60-year-old caddie revealed a surprising tactic he used to get the best out of his players: occasionally withholding or distorting information. This unorthodox approach was employed to influence players’ decision-making and boost confidence in high-pressure situations.

When golfers face uncertain situations, such as navigating creeks or thick rough, they rely on their caddie for clear guidance. And the renowned looper stressed the importance of providing absolute certainty in these moments, even if it means making tough calls. He puts it in his book on page number 25, “If a player asks you a question, they don’t want to hear umming and ahhing—they want a firm answer.” This emphasis on certainty led Williams to sometimes withhold or distort information, such as yardages, to influence his players’ decisions.

Williams admits to using this tactic with Tiger Woods, saying, “I often did this with Tiger.” He acknowledged that this approach may seem unorthodox but argued it was necessary to give his players the edge they needed to win. As he wrote, “In those cases, I was less of a confidence booster than a confidence trickster.”

Moreover, his unconventional tactics, blended with Woods’s extraordinary talent, created an unbeatable synergy that ruled the golf world for over a decade. The Williams-Woods era (1999–2011) was a golden age in golf, with Tiger Woods claiming 13 major championships under the looper’s guidance, which he has acknowledged in the past.

But is Tiger Woods the only top name the Hall of Famer caddie has ever caddied for? No, he has some other big names up his sleeve. Let’s explore the highlights of his journey and some of the players he’s worked with.

Williams’ illustrious career beyond Tiger Woods 

While his partnership with Tiger Woods is iconic, Williams’s caddying journey began long before. At just ten years old, he started caddying at his home club in New Zealand. By 13, he worked with Australian legend Peter Thomson, a five-time Open Championship winner.

At just 19, Williams joined forces with Greg Norman in 1982, caddying for him in Asia, Australia, and Europe. After a brief stint in the US with Norman, he was let go in 1989 but quickly found work with Raymond Floyd. He caddied for Floyd on the regular and senior US tours until 1999, amassing a wealth of experience and expertise.

This extensive background laid the groundwork for his future success, including his remarkable partnership with Woods. With a career spanning over four decades, the looper has worked with some of golf’s biggest names, including Adam Scott, LPGA golfer Danielle Kang, and Jason Day.

The candid insight offered a glimpse into the psychological trickery behind the scenes in professional golf.

Tiger Woods’s Net Worth 2024

Tiger Woods has a net worth of $1.1 billion, as per Forbes. Not only does this make him the first billionaire golfer in history, but it also makes him one of the very few billionaire athletes in the world. Woods undoubtedly owes his high value to his being a savvy businessman and his valuable endorsements.

Woods owes a lot of his wealth to his partnerships and sponsors. One of his most famous and valuable endorsement deals was with Nike, which came to an end after a 27-year partnership that began in 1996. Additionally, the golf pro is sponsored by big names like Bridgestone, Monster Energy, Rolex, and TaylorMade. The golf pro made $60 million in endorsements alone in 2023.

Woods has a sizable portion of his investments put into real estate. One of the most expensive of those investments is his house on Jupiter Island in Florida. In 2006, he spent a whopping $40 million on the property. But that wasn’t the end of it at all! He further went on to construct his $54 million mansion on the property.

Woods also bought both his parents’ houses. In 2007, he spent $2.4 million to buy two plots of land in Jupiter, Florida, for his mother. As per public records, in 2010, a $1.31 million home in Windermere, Florida, was listed under Tiger and Earl’s names.

Tiger Woods’s Early Life

Woods was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. Named Eldrick Tont Woods at birth, he now goes by his widely popular nickname, “Tiger,” which was given to him by his father, Earl Woods, in honor of one of his close army buddies.

From a very young age, Woods began taking a liking to the sport. He became interested in golf at the age of six months after watching his father hit golf balls into a net and imitate his swing. His skills with a club were amazing, and at a very young age, he began being called a golf prodigy.

By the time Woods had reached the age of 2, he had become quite fluid with the game and even showcased his talent by putting alongside the American comedian, Bob Hope, on the Mike Douglas Show. One year later, while regular kids were playing with blocks, Woods shot a low score of 48 across nine holes. At the age of four, Woods flaunted his skills out of a bunker in a short game against a 16-year-old and beat him by four strokes. He was featured in Golf Digest as a 5-year-old, where his abilities were lauded.

Tiger’s father, Earl, was his inspiration to play the sport and was also the one who taught him how to play the game. His first official coach, on the other hand, was Rudy Duran, who began training him at the age of four and continued to do so for six years.

In 1994, Tiger Woods attended Stanford University for two years and pursued a degree in economics. He turned pro in 1996, taking his first steps toward becoming the golf legend that he’s now known as.

Tiger Woods’s Family and His Kids

Tiger is the son of Earl Woods and Kultida Woods. Although he was born an American citizen, Woods’s heritage is part African-American, owing to his father, and part Thai, owing to the fact that his mother is from Thailand. The couple were married for 37 years until Earl sadly passed away at the age of 74 in 2006.

Woods is the only child of Earl and Kultida. But his father had three other children before he was born. Earl Jr. was Woods’ eldest half-sibling and was born in 1955. He is 20 years older than Tiger. Woods has another elder half-brother, Kevin Dale Woods, who is 18 years older than he is and was born in 1957. His third half-sibling is his half-sister, Royce Renee Woods, who was born in 1961.

Woods himself has two children, both with his now ex-wife, Elin Nordegren. His firstborn is their daughter, Sam Alexis Woods, who was born on June 18, 2007. Charlie Axel Woods, her brother and Woods and Elin’s second child, was born on February 8, 2009.

Tiger Woods’s Dating History

In 2001, Woods first met his then-wife-to-be, Elin Nordegren, a former model. The couple dated for a while before getting engaged in November 2003. Less than a year later, in October 2004, the couple tied the knot and were married in Barbados in an intricate ceremony. A little over five years later, they went through a very public and scandalous divorce.

Woods met Rachael Uchitel in 2008. A year later, the two began seeing each other. Allegedly, Uchitel and Woods were seeing each other before his split with his wife, Elin.

Following his messy marriage, Woods started afresh with the American Alpine Olympic skier, Lindsey Vonn. The two made an attractive athlete-power couple. They met in 2012 and began dating soon after. In May 2015, the pair split up due to their hectic athletic lifestyles.

Woods also dated Erica Herman, the former general manager of his restaurant, the Woods Jupiter. The two first made their relationship public in 2017 when she wore a player’s spouse credential at the President’s Cup. The pair broke up in 2023. Following their breakup, Herman also filed a lawsuit against Woods to revoke the non-disclosure agreement she signed when the couple initially started dating. Herman cited the Speak Out Act in her lawsuit, which permits the nullification of NDAs in cases of sexual assault or harassment. However, she later dropped the lawsuit.

Tiger Woods’s Awards and Achievements

Woods has one of the most incredible careers in golf’s history. Having turned pro in August 1996, he straight away began playing on the PGA Tour. Two months into his professional debut, he won his first Tour event, the Las Vegas Invitational, in October. Since then, the golf pro has gone on to win 82 times, the most any player has ever won. He shares this record with Sam Snead.

Less than a year after turning pro, Tiger Woods won his first major championship at Augusta in April 1997 at the Masters. He has gone on to win a total of 15 major championships, second only to Jack Nicklaus, who has won 18 throughout his career, a record Woods is certainly gunning for. Woods won his 15th major at the Masters in 2019.

Woods is quite certainly one of the most accomplished golfers of all time. In terms of numbers, the golf pro has to date gotten his hands on 5 Masters titles, 3 US Open titles, 4 PGA Championship titles, and 3 Open Championships.

The PGA Tour star also holds the record for the most amount of time spent as World No. 1 at 683 weeks (just over 13 years). Through strong resolve, tons of training, and rigorous hard work, the golf pro had earned the legend tag for himself.

Tiger Woods Documentary

All the avid Woods fans eager to find out more about the golfer will be pleased to know that the golf legend has a documentary. Tiger, an HBO sports-biography documentary, aired in 2021. It focuses on his steady rise and abrupt drop, and then his comeback to the sport.

The documentary also explores Woods’ relationship with his father and the effect his divorce had on his career. Fans can watch the biography, which is split into two episodes, on HBO Max.

Tiger Woods’s Car Accidents

Woods has suffered a dark fate when it comes to accidents. He has been involved in three separate car accidents, each life-threatening. The first came in 2009, when the golf pro lost control of his SUV and crashed it into a fire hydrant, soon after pulling out of the driveway of his Florida mansion. He was knocked out and lost consciousness for nearly 6 minutes. His injuries from the accident had been described as “serious.”

Eight years later, in 2017, the golf legend was arrested in Florida for DUI. The police had found him passed out behind the wheel of his Mercedes-Benz. There seemed to have been a minor accident before the cops found him.

In February 2021, Woods was yet again involved in a car accident. Due to a speed crash, his car had flown off the road. He was the only party involved in the accident. The golf pro suffered multiple injuries to his right leg and ankle and sustained injuries to his back. He went through multiple surgeries for his leg injuries and has not yet fully recovered from them. Yet the PGA Tour star found the resolve to compete in major championships in 2022.

Woods’s health struggles continued as he withdrew from the Masters in April 2023 due to a re-aggravation of his plantar fasciitis. After nearly an eight-month-long hiatus, the 82-time PGA Tour winner made a comeback at the Hero World Challenge in December 2023.

The Tiger Woods Foundation, Charity Work, and Philanthropy

Tiger and his father, Earl, started the TGR Foundation back in 1996. It was first set out with the goal of helping children play the sport. But 27 years later, the foundation now aims to educate children on all fronts. They offer college and career programs to students and have, to date, helped turn around more than 2 million students’ lives. They further have one of the highest graduation rates among scholarship programs in the country, at 98%.

The Woods Foundation additionally hosts charity events and sponsors golf events on the PGA Tour to raise money for various charitable ventures. The most popular tournaments among them are the Genesis Invitational and the Hero World Challenge.