Tiger Woods-Adam Scott Final Pairing Would Fuel Caddie Drama at British Open

Tiger Woods Adam Scott are both near the top of the leaderboard at the 2012 British Open and if the two end up paired together for the final round, there will be incredible tension as Woods and his former caddy Steve Williams go head-to-head.

On Saturday, Woods will play with Thorbjorn Olesen while Scott will be paired with Brandt Snedeker. Depending on the outcome, the next chapter in the Woods-Williams drama could be written at the Open Championship.

Here is how it all started and what might happen if Scott and Woods are paired together.

History 

Williams began working for Woods in 1999 and stood next to the golfer during 13 major victories. As Larry Dorman of the New York Times notes, Woods is a “self-acknowledged control freak” and places an immense value on loyalty in his employees.

Dorman also writes that the two men were friends off the golf course and that Woods attended Williams’ wedding.

The caddy was certainly a staunch defender of Woods—sometimes to a fault. In one 2004 incident, he tore a camera out of the hands of a spectator when the fan snapped a photo during Woods’ swing. 

In the aftermath of the scandal surround Woods’ marital infidelity, ESPN noted that the golfer was rarely in contact with his caddy, despite the two men and their haves having all having a longstanding friendship. 

Williams started working with Adam Scott when Woods was out of commission with an Achilles injury, but the golfing champion shockingly decided to formally end his professional relationship with Williams in July of 2011.

Woods did not provide an exact reason for his decision and made released this statement on his website. 

"

I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it's time for a change. Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future. 

"

No one was more shocked than the caddy himself. He released the following statement on his website, via Jay Busbee of Yahoo Sports.

"

After 13 years of loyal service needless to say this came as a shock. Given the circumstances of the past 18 months working through Tiger's scandal, a new coach and with it a major swing change and Tiger battling through injuries I am very disappointed to end our very successful partnership at this time.

"

Woods has been media savvy and kept his feelings about the contentious situation from reaching the press. Williams, on the other hand, has not been as tight-lipped.

The caddy’s most glaring faux pas came at 2011 Annual Caddy Awards dinner in Shanghai, when Williams commented on a victory he had with Scott earlier in the year. He said, "It was my aim to shove it up that black arse----," via ESPN’s Bob Harig, who cited British newspapers. 

Williams later apologized for his comment, as noted by Harig, but his true feelings about his former employer were clear. While the caddy was pegged as racist following the vulgar sound bite, it was almost certainly motivated by disdain and disappointment over being fired, rather than any prejudicial feelings.

The two have remained civil on the course, but the tension is clearly there. Williams’ website has a page that describes his history as a caddy. The defining years of his career were with Woods, but when the point in the story should come to tell about all the major wins, the page simply states, “As they say the rest is history.”

What Will Happen on the Course? 

Do not expect sparks to fly on the course if Woods and Scott are paired up on Sunday.

Both men clearly resent each other, but the raw emotion from their painful break up has passed, and they are committed professionals. This will be reflected in their heavily scrutinized actions. 

Woods is one of the fiercest competitors in all of sports, and Williams would not have lasted long as his employee and friend if he did not possess the same quality.

They will do everything in their power to let their rivalry serve as motivation, instead of becoming a distraction.

In all likelihood, the tension will be evident as the men treat each with cold indifference and not with blatant hatred.

Who is to Blame?

Ultimately, Woods is at fault in this feud. He both valued and required loyalty from his employees and this led to meaningful personal relationships.

When his scandal broke, the golfer's decision to keep Williams in the dark was simply mean. Williams was clearly hurt, and Woods only exacerbated the situation with the surprising decision to fire his caddy.

Even though Woods is to blame, Williams is not blameless. His comments at the Annual Caddy Awards dinner were inexcusable and unbecoming of a professional. 

Any sympathy that the public had for him was completely gone after his embarrassing remark. While Woods was wrong to treat Williams the way he did, this was an awful thing to say. 

As is the case with most drawn-out feuds, one person started the hostilities, but both parties are responsible for prolonging the drama.

This has been a fantastic British Open thus far, and for the sake of the tournament, fans can only hope that both men have put their differences in the past.