Williams, 58, is most famous for carrying Tiger Woods’ bag from 1999 to 2011, but the New Zealander also looped for Greg Norman, Raymond Floyd and Ian Baker-Finch during his career. Following his split with Woods in 2011 after a partnership that yielded 13 major victories, Williams joined Scott’s team and helped him secure a breakthrough major win at the 2013 Masters.

Williams will be on the bag the next two weeks at the Australian PGA Championship, being played at Royal Queensland in Brisbane, and the Australian Open at Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf Club on the Melbourne Sandbelt. In 2023, Scott will likely have Williams and Scott’s regular caddie, Greg Hearmon, share the bag.

“For me it’s exciting to work again with Steve and see if we can rediscover the magic,” Scott told Golf Digest on Sunday. “As a player, you experience different points in your career. Right now on the PGA Tour is a time of change, and I’m adjusting to it. Having Steve and Greg doing a job share is going to help me get everything I need and that’s to be fresh at the biggest events.”

When Scott and Williams parted ways at the end of 2017, Williams retired after more than 40 years of caddieing. Since then, Scott has had mixed results at the majors. He finished third and was in the final group with eventual champion Brooks Koepka at the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive, before top-10s at the PGA and US Open the following year. He has been in the mix but has not truly contended at the majors since 2019.

Scott, who also held the World No. 1 ranking briefly in 2014, is hungry to try to win a second major championship next year.

“My goal is to win majors. I had a good run with Steve in the majors and we did win the Masters, but it’s about getting an overall balance for what I need to perform in the biggest events,” Scott said. “Steve is at a point in his life where he’d like to have a dabble again, so to speak. It’s a good balance for him because it won’t be a full year’s grind.”

Williams was delighted to be back on the bag for Scott.

“The time I spent caddieing for Adam was very memorable; helping him becoming the first Australian to win at Augusta,” Williams said. “I feel Adam is in a good shape with his game, and I’m fresh having not caddied for a few years, so I’ll bring a lot of enthusiasm.

“I’ve always said to Adam and to others, to be remembered as one of the great players, you have to win multiple majors. The opportunity to try and get Adam major No. 2 and elevate himself to a special group of players in history, would be a privilege.”

Both Scott and Williams have good records at the venues for next year’s major championship, with the PGA Championship going to Oak Hill in upstate New York and the Open Championship returning to Royal Liverpool. Scott finished tied for fifth at both venues with Williams on the bag at the 2013 PGA and 2014 Open.

Royal Liverpool is also where Tiger won the 2006 Open with Williams as his bagman.

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The post Adam Scott to reunite with caddie Steve Williams for Australian events and beyond appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
When HBO first announced a two-part docuseries on Tiger Woods was in the works, it promised to be “illuminating in sweeping scope and vast detail the rise, fall, and epic comeback of global icon Tiger Woods.” Audiences were given their first taste in a trailer that hit YouTube on Thursday.

In the 75-second trailer, Woods’ father Earl features prominently. “Please forgive me, but sometimes I get very emotional when I talk about my son,” Earl says. “He will transcend this game and bring to the world a humanitarianism which has never been known before.”

Earl’s speech continues, and it eventually ends with him in tears. As he speaks, we see clips of Woods’ life from his childhood years to his teenage years to his up-and-down adult years. Check out the clip below:

“Tiger,” which is directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman and Emmy nominee Matthew Hamachek, is expected to feature never-before-seen footage and “revealing” interviews with those who know Woods best, including Woods’ ex-caddie Steve Williams. It will be released on HBO Max in January 2021.

More You Might Like
• Why Tiger is in great position to win a sixth green jacket
• Tiger Woods was feeling it Thursday and you didn’t even need to see his score to know

The post HBO releases first teaser trailer for two-part Tiger Woods documentary appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Christopher Powers
In late March, Armen Keteyian, co-author with Jeff Benedict of The New York Times No. 1 best-selling book “Tiger Woods,” revealed that a HBO documentary on the 15-time major champion was in the works. Keteyian, who broke the news during an appearance on the “Burst Your Bubble” podcast, offered few details, except that it would likely air in November in conjunction with Woods defending his Masters title.

In a press release sent out on Thursday, HBO confirmed the two-part series “Tiger” is happening, with part one airing Sunday, Dec. 13, and part two airing Sunday, Dec. 20. It will be available exclusively on HBO and HBO Max.

“Tiger,” which is directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Matthew Heineman and Emmy nominee Matthew Hamachek, will cover the rise, fall and epic comeback of Woods, leaning on Benedict and Keteyian’s book as a resource. The series is driven, according to HBO, by never-before-seen footage and “revealing” interviews with those who know Woods best.

Among those interviewees include Woods’ ex-caddie, Steve Williams, who Woods infamously fired over the phone in 2011, according to Williams. Also making an appearance will be Sir Nick Faldo; Earl Woods’ friend and biographer (and former Golf Digest writer) Pete McDaniel; Dina Parr, who HBO describes as Woods’ first true love; and Rachel Uchitel, who was one of the many women at the centre of Woods’ off-the-course scandal. HBO says this is the first time Uchitel has publicly spoken about the scandal.

“Since his introduction to the world at the age of 2, Tiger Woods has inhabited our collective consciousness as a prodigy, a pioneer, a champion, a global icon, and then a tabloid headline,” said directors Heineman and Hamachek in the release. “After months of research and countless hours of revelatory conversations, we discovered that he has always been a projection of outsized expectations. His father, his sponsors, and his fans all made Tiger Woods into whom they wanted him to be. Our goal was to dive deeper and create an unflinching and intimate portrait of a man, who like all of us, is imperfect and inherently human.”

The post Details revealed for HBO’s two-part “Tiger” documentary, which will air in December appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

WE’RE BUYING

Patrick Reed: How about this guy’s timing? For a second time in three years, Reed won his first event of the season at the first FedEx Cup Playoffs event, all but locking up a spot on Team USA for the Presidents Cup in December. Captain America winning in the shadow of Lady Liberty. How PATRIOTIC.

Kevin C. Cox

Incredibly, this was also Reed’s first victory since winning last year’s Masters. His seventh PGA Tour title only moved Mr. Self-proclaimed Top 5 back to No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking. But it did vault him to No. 2 (from No. 50) in the FedEx Cup standings. If he claims that $15 million bonus, he’ll never have to worry about sitting in the “cheap” seats again.

Scott Harrington: Timing was on this guy’s side, too, as he completed one of the best stories in golf by earning his PGA Tour card for the first time at 38. The accomplishment was made all the sweeter by having his wife, Jenn, in attendance at Pumpkin Ridge a year after Harrington cut his season short when she was diagnosed with cancer. Now Jenn is doing great and so is Scott.

The culmination of an emotional rollercoaster for @ScottyGlf and his family.

His wife Jenn has twice battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is now cancer-free. She flew in Saturday night and got to hug her husband on 18 as he heads to the @PGATOUR. pic.twitter.com/6dupdnM3WJ

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 12, 2019

Congrats also to Bo Hoag on winning the Korn Ferry Tour finale to secure his PGA Tour card as well. As for what happened to Vince India on the final hole, well, we’re not going to talk about that. . . Thoughts and prayers to Vince India. . .

Playing in a pro-am: I had the pleasure of playing in an LPGA Pro-Am four years ago, but as you can imagine, everything is a bit more amplified at a PGA Tour pro-am. The crowds are a lot larger (although, fortunately, my opening tee shot came on No. 10 in front of only a few fans), the SWAG is a lot cooler (I got an early Christmas gift for the wife as well), and odds are (no offence, LPGA), you’re going to get paired with a bigger name. I drew Hideki Matsuyama. You’ve probably heard of him. Decent little player.

What a thrill. At least, while it lasted. . .

WE’RE SELLING

Getting rained out in a pro-am: My only task that came with this plum assignment was finding a different angle to write about than the usual “Playing in a Pro-Am is awesome” (but again, to be clear, it is). And Mother Nature provided just that by bringing a lightning storm that chased us off the course after only three holes.

Sigh.

Bryson’s pace of play: On one hand, I feel bad for Bryson getting absolutely torched by the rest of the golf world after a pair of videos exposing his plodding pace of play went viral. On the other, if that’s what needs to happen to bring about change, then so be it. First off, here are the two videos in question:

anyone need a nap?

here’s DeChambeau pacing off a 70-yard shot which took over 3 minutes to hit (couldn’t post the entire video it took so long) pic.twitter.com/7A3Azeftyu

— Eric Patterson (@EPatGolf) August 9, 2019

We can… pic.twitter.com/TOnRS4BXds

— Fantasy Golf Pod (@fantasygolfpod) August 10, 2019

Not good! And here is a sample response from Eddie Pepperell:

Just look at Tommy and Justin, both looking completely bored. Slow players do this to their playing partners making the game less enjoyable. Problem is, the unaffected single minded twit in this instance, doesn’t care much for others.

— Eddie Pepperell (@PepperellEddie) August 10, 2019

Again, content! I’m also selling the fact that the PGA Tour hasn’t penalized an individual player since Glen “All” Day in 1995. That’s 24 years ago! DeChambeau was still using single-length diapers!

The Jason Day-Steve Williams Era: The old New Zealand looper was supposed to toughen up the young Aussie and rejuvenate the former World No. 1’s career. Instead, it resulted in a mostly forgettable T21-T8-T66-MC-T40-MC run over six tournaments. Day called the breakup “mutual” and that it was “a disconnect of old school and new school,” which can be summed up perfectly by this photo:

David Cannon

There’s no way Stevie stood for Jason wearing that shirt.

ON TAP

The top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings (including, hopefully, Tiger Woods. We’re going to forget last week’s WD ever happened. . . ) make their way to the BMW Championship at Medinah, AKA that place where Tiger Woods has won two majors and where the Miracle at Medinah happened in 2012. Isn’t it nice when things are so perfectly named? Makes them a lot easy to remember.

Random tournament fact: Medinah is also the site of Sergio Garcia’s running, leaping scissor kick at the 1999 PGA Championship. Sadly, Sergio won’t be here this year because he didn’t advance to the second state of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Sadly to the fans, that is. The course’s superintendent is probably relieved.

PHOTO(S) OF THE WEEK

Pick a photo, any photo from Michelle Wie’s wedding to Jonnie West. She Instagrammed 26 (and counting) to be exact:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1DQSrlJh8w/?utm_source=ig_embed

Then there were other photos posted by guests, including tennis player Genie Bouchard:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1CM3fnpJYR/?utm_source=ig_embed

And Golf Digest’s own Hally Leadbetter:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1B9lAtAiTy/?utm_source=ig_embed

Anyway, congrats to Michelle and Jonnie on looking fantastic and for coming up with a great wedding couple hashtag. And congrats to THE LOGO, Jerry West!

Think their kids will be any good at sports? LOL.

VIRAL VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Rory McIlroy delivered quite the random dagger at Matt Kuchar during the Wyndham Rewards awards ceremony:

Rory eviscerated Kuchar today. ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/omtMHRS8rh

— Chris Chaney (@Wrong_Fairway) August 6, 2019

Poor, Matt. He’s never living down that cheap tip.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Yeah, look, it’s changed my life a little bit. I’m definitely more recognized now, and even coming over here to events, but if anything when you’re like that, it makes you feel more comfortable. That’s the way I feel, anyway. They’re not calling me Beef or they’re not calling me J.B. Holmes out there, anyway. That’s a plus.” — Shane Lowry on winning the Open Championship. That’s a plus, indeed. Beardism is real.

THIS WEEK IN TOUR PRO PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION

Danielle Kang managed to be at her good friend Michelle Wie’s wedding in LA:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1B5AqtnwZb/?utm_source=ig_embed

AND in Oregon to see her boyfriend, Maverick McNealy, earn his PGA Tour card for the first time:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1DDCRWnx5t/?utm_source=ig_embed

Awww.

THIS WEEK IN PHIL BEING PHIL

First, Phil. . . went for a hike?

I hiked the Precipice Trail at Acadia National Forest and wanted to share that it is one of the coolest things I’ve done. Hard to explain the beauty and challenge of this amazing trail. pic.twitter.com/9dfc8HuFTf

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 6, 2019

Then Phil posted this odd video with Bryson DeChambeau (before the slow-play storm hit):

Intellectual thinking with @b_dechambeau. pic.twitter.com/TOhNkBMkGk

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 7, 2019

Then he retold a classic yarn involving himself, Tony Romo, and Tiger Woods in front of Tiger (sort of) in his latest Phireside Chat:

The one and only @TigerWoods was nice enough to take time out of his busy schedule to join me on Phireside with Phil. We got to talk about all the times I beat him (one). pic.twitter.com/IPbUufpUKH

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) August 12, 2019

Absolutely brilliant. Both the gamesmanship at Pebble Beach in 2012 and the use of Tiger photos to re-tell the story. It’s too bad Phil didn’t start these little chats last year leading up to THE MATCH. Woods would have been happy to actually come on for real to promote that event.

THIS AND THAT

Congrats to Gabi Ruffels for winning the U.S. Women’s Amateur despite her caddie having to leave for a funeral on the 31st hole of the 36-hole final. Congrats to tour pro Ryan Ruffels as well. To say he was proud of his little sister is an understatement.

SHE DID IT US AM CHAMP LETS GOOO pic.twitter.com/50Q3UnH16Q

— Ryan Ruffels (@RRuffels) August 11, 2019

Congrats to Amanda Balionis for consistently hitting the gym on the road. That takes serious discipline (the only thing I consistently do on the road is eat fast food) and the results are evident by the GUN SHOW she put on at the Northern Trust:

Congrats to Chris Naegel for making this hole-in-one:

Eagle at 11.
?ACE at 12! ?

Chris Naegel is trying to do something special @PortlandOpen. pic.twitter.com/3kEbfV5orZ

— Korn Ferry Tour (@KornFerryTour) August 11, 2019

But condolences to Chris for not winning the BMW on display behind the tee. That’s messed up. . . . And finally, now that my daughter, Julia, is walking, I presented her with her first set of golf clubs:

We need to work on her form, but most importantly, I’m doing my part to GROW THE GAME.

RANDOM QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Will Steve Williams ever caddie on the PGA Tour again?

Will I ever play in a PGA Tour pro-am again?

When should I talk to my daughter about slow play?

The post Michelle Wie walks the aisle, Phil Mickelson needles Tiger Woods, and Bryson DeChambeau gets roasted for slow play appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Brian Wacker
Jason Day was all business Tuesday morning, teeing off for a practice round by himself at 6:45 a.m. at Pebble Beach. It’s a habit not dissimilar to that of his boyhood idol, Tiger Woods, who in his heyday was notorious for regularly deploying dawn-patrol rounds.

The other similarity: The guy carrying the bag.

Steve Williams caddied for Woods for 13 of his 15 career major championships, including when Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach by a record 15 strokes. At this week’s U.S. Open, Williams is on Day’s bag.

“I am very disappointed with how this year’s progressed,” Day said. “I didn’t play well, and I need to improve that. I think Steve will take me to that next level, and I’m hoping that’s the case.”

The last time Williams caddied regularly was from 2011 through 2017 when he was on the bag for Adam Scott, whom he helped reach No. 1 in the world and win the 2013 Masters before eventually going into retirement.

Before that, he spent a dozen years alongside Woods, and before that Greg Norman, Ray Floyd, and others. How long the partnership with Day will last is still to be determined but it will be for at least this year.

Perhaps more notable is what it signals for the 31-year-old Aussie.

Five seasons ago, Day won five times, including his first major at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, and reached No. 1 in the world. He followed by winning three more times in 2016, including the Players Championship.

But after a frustrating 2017 in which Day failed to win and his relationship with his caddie/coach Colin Swatton had become strained inside the ropes, Day parted ways with Swatton as his caddie, retaining him in only a coaching capacity. He then employed Luke Reardon and Rika Batibasaga, two friends he grew up with in Australia who both live not far from Day in Ohio.

Day won his first start of 2018, at the Farmers Insurance Open and again at the Wells Fargo Championship a few months later. But he ended the year ranked 14th in the world, his lowest year-end ranking since 2012.

Through his first 11 starts of 2019, he has four top-10s but no victories and has rarely been in contention.

Then came a missed cut two weeks ago at his hometown event, the Memorial. Feeling that he was continuing to underachieve in his career, Day placed a call and asked Williams to come aboard.

“It’s nice to have someone with experience, that has unbelievable experience in major championships, and also, on top of it, have the experience of that winning pedigree with regards to the players that he’s been with,” said Day, who added he’d been contemplating a change for the last couple of months. “It was a little bit intimidating to have him on the bag, to be honest. He’s had a lot of great ball-strikers that he’s worked for. I was excited and intimidated in the same breath.”

To Day’s point, the two spent a sun-splashed morning along the Monterey Peninsula with Day playing 18 holes and working through clubs and yardages; scenarios and the effects of various weather conditions; and playing each shot as if it counted for real.

Day’s usually chatty demeanour carried a more focused tone throughout, with Williams the most visible extension of that on the driving range as well as the course.

It was clear they were there to work.

On the par-3 17th, for example, Day’s first tee shot flew the green and nestled in thick rough. He re-teed and stuck the next one to a few feet. Nonetheless, Williams told him to play the first ball, and he chopped it across the green before eventually getting up an down for what would have been a bogey.

The same routine carried out on other holes, too, no matter where each shot landed.

“I know that his drive and his will to be successful is very, very high,” Day said of Williams. “He’s kind of a no-BS kind of guy. He’ll tell you straight. He told me, ‘If you’re not working hard enough, I’m gone.’”

Usually, it’s the player who does the firing, not the caddie. Given Williams’ resume, though, Day is more than willing to listen and often let the New Zealand-born Williams lead the way.

“I told Steve, ‘Look, my goal is to get back to No. 1 in the world,’” Day said. “I want to do everything I possibly can to get there. If I need to do whatever you need to tell me, I’ll do it. He said that being No. 1, there’s a lot of sacrifices that come along with that. And we both understand what that means.”

For Day, that means rededicating himself. Hiring Williams was the first step.

“I saw an enthused, reinvigorated and motivated Jason,” Swatton said of the two-day practice session with Williams on Day’s bag over the weekend at Pebble Beach. “Everything I’m hearing is that he’s walking around with more swagger and a different demeanour.”

And perhaps, be it this week or another one soon, with another trophy, too.

The post U.S. Open 2019: With Steve Williams on the bag, Jason Day exhibits a new intensity as well appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Alex Myers
You may have predicted a big week for Brooks Koepka at Bellerive Country Club. Heck, you may have even picked him to win the 100th PGA Championship. But you’d also still have nothing on Steve Williams.

A “My Shot” interview with Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie appeared in the May 2015 issue of Golf Digest, and as our Mike O’Malley pointed out on Monday, Williams gave quite a prescient statement when discussing the budding PGA Tour player. We said player and not star, because, at the time, Koepka had just one PGA Tour title (In addition to several worldwide wins as a pro) and was ranked outside the top 20. Williams, however, saw Hall-of-Fame potential in the powerful golfer.

You should read the entire interview with Williams, who had moved on to looping for Adam Scott by then, but here’s the money quote:

“ONCE IN A GREAT WHILE, a player comes along who hits a golf ball the way it was meant to be hit. Powerful, piercing, the perfect trajectory. Of the young players out there, one I’ve seen has that special ball flight: Brooks Koepka. Adam and I were paired with him at the Open Championship last year, and from his first tee shot on, I thought, This kid is special. Obviously, he’s searching to find the other parts of the puzzle, but I haven’t seen a ball flight like that since Tiger, and before that, Johnny Miller.”

Tiger. Johnny. Brooks. That’s some high praise right there.

A little more than three years later, Koepka has three major titles to his resume and is up to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking. And with each big trophy that he hoists, Stevie is looking smarter and smarter.

The post Tiger Woods’ ex-caddy Steve Williams predicted Brooks Koepka’s greatness long ago with this money quote appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Adam Scott is a man in desperate need of a shot of vitality. The former No. 1 has fallen to No. 82 in the world, with just one top-10 finish in 15 PGA Tour starts, and his notoriously bad short game has never been worse (192nd in strokes gained: putting). He also just parted ways with caddie David Clark. Needing someone on the bag, Scott is using the opportunity to call in a legend from retirement to get him straightened out.

And no, it’s not Steve Williams.

The caddie in question is Fanny Sunesson, famous for looping Nick Faldo in his glory years (with Sir Nick for four of his six major championships, including two Open victories). Sunesson, the first female caddie to win a major, last carried for Henrik Stenson in 2012, although was forced to call it quits with a nagging back issue. She now works as a mental coach and instructor.

Scott had four consecutive top-10 finishes at the Open from 2012 to 2015 but finished T-27 the last time the championship was at Carnoustie. The Aussie is playing with Brendan Steele and Zach Johnson at 1:15 p.m. local time on Thursday.

The post The Open 2018: Adam Scott is calling a legend out of retirement to caddie this week, and no, it’s not Steve Williams appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

By Joel Beall
Steve Williams, one of the highest profile caddies in the world, is set for a new challenge. One that will take him away from men’s golf.

Williams, who rose to prominence carrying the bag of Tiger Woods, is officially parting ways with Adam Scott. The split was expected; Scott, who had only been using Williams sporadically, employed looper David Clark at the PGA Championship.

“I’m not going to caddy for Adam next year, he’ll return to having a full-time caddie,” Williams said to the New Zealand Herald. “He’s had a job share where he’s had two caddies for the last two seasons but he wants to return to one caddie next season.”

Though the 63-year-old is set to retire within the next year, he’s still searching for part-time duty. Which is how Williams finds himself with Danielle Kang at the New Zealand Women’s Open. It will be Williams’ first foray into the women’s game in 39 years of caddieing.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZcVZtuls8e/

“I’ve never caddied at any professional women’s event before, so it’ll be a good experience to see if I can learn something from how they do things,” Williams told the Herald. “Danielle is a good player and once you start the tournament, you want to win, so nothing will change there.”

Kang, who won this year’s Women’s PGA Championship, is one of the favorites at Windross Farm in Auckland. It is the tournament’s first year as a co-sanctioned LPGA event.

The post Steve Williams officially parts with Adam Scott, set to take LPGA bag this week appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.