Are Steve Williams' Days Numbered as Tiger Woods' Caddie?

There are three simple requirements that one must follow in order to remain within Tiger Woods’ inner circle.

1) Keep your mouth shut

2) Do whatever Woods says

3) Keep your mouth shut

Several days ago, Woods’ caddie, Steve Williams, broke all three rules during a five-minute interview on 60 Minutes Australia.

Williams broke rules No. 1 and 3 by speaking in the first place, and while doing so he also broke rule No. 2 two by not following Woods’ other simple instruction: do whatever Woods says.  

It’s no secret that in order to remain aboard the Tiger Woods’ gravy train you need to turn yourself into one of those wax figures from Madame Tussaud's.  It’s okay to appear lifelike as long as your lips don’t move.

During the days of “cool Tiger Woods,” Steve Williams was viewed as Woods’ loyal steed.  He was a protector and an enforcer; a caddie/bodyguard who would take a bullet for his boss.  

It was a one-two punch comparable in golf circles to the Jordan-Pippen duo of the 90’s.

Fast forward a few months and Steve Williams is now viewed in a very different light.

Instead of the respected and even feared protector, he is now the bumbling goon who carries Woods' over-sized golf bag.

Instead of the guy who would serve and protect his boss at all costs, he is now the guy who at least knew about, if not helped facilitate, Woods’ “transgressions” over the past decade.

“I knew nothing and that’s my answer,” Williams said during his 60 Minutes interview.  “I don’t have to clarify or extend that answer. I knew nothing…It would be very difficult as a caddie not to know, but I’m 100 percent telling you.”

Good luck trying to push that one past the public. 

The days of Williams intimidating and in some cases even forcefully casting the public into submission are over.

Nothing Williams could say right now is going to change the public’s perception of him.  Opening his mouth is not only a futile act in the court of public opinion, but it may also get him tossed right off the Woods gravy train.

We all know what happened to “Fluff” Cowan when he broke rules No 1, 2, and 3.

"I’m a straight-up sort of person. If I had known something was going on, the whistle would have been blown.” Williams continued to say during his 60 Minutes interview.

The first quote, needless to say, came across as looking considerably desperate, but this one is nothing short of laughable.

You would have blown this whistle?

Are you kidding me?

Williams doesn’t really strike me as the type of guy that would have happily shredded a $10 million check and allowed himself to become the Pete Rose of PGA Tour caddies.

Williams has remained within Woods’ circle of trust due to his ability to follow the rules; that’s it.  There are plenty of guys out there who can carry a bag, know the proper yardage, and serve as a physiologist/motivator on the course.

It does not take a rocket scientist to carry a golf bag.

Williams has been allowed to remain Woods’ loyal steed for the past decade because he has resided in the background and he has more or less kept his mouth shut.

A car wreck is what ultimately led to Woods’ fall from grace.

And now it appears that we are witnessing another car wreck in the form of Williams' inability to keep his mouth shut.

We might soon be saying sayonara to Steve Williams, which would be a fitting farewell phrase due to the fact that the Japanese Tour might be the only place Williams will find work after being banished from Woods’ bag.