Report: Jason Day Hiring Tiger Woods' Ex-Caddie Steve Williams for 2019 US Open
June 8, 2019
Jason Day has tapped Steve Williams to caddie for him at the U.S. Open beginning June 13, the golfer confirmed to the Golf Channel on Saturday.
Williams most notably caddied for Tiger Woods during 13 of his 15 major championships. The New Zealander most recently caddied for Adam Scott. He was by Scott's side when he captured the 2013 Masters.
In Nov. 2017, Williams told the iSeekGolf podcast that 2018 would be his last as a caddie (h/t the Golf Channel's Will Gray).
Following that decision—and after being involved with the game for more than four decades—Williams swore off golf. However, he broke his rule to watch Woods win the 2019 Masters.
"I just don't watch it. Ever. Except for last Monday," Williams wrote for PlayersVoice. "I woke up early like so many people in New Zealand and Australia to watch the last round of The Masters. Despite how things ended between Tiger Woods and myself, I wanted to see if he could make history by winning The Masters for a fifth time—and for the first time in 14 years.
Fourteen years! It's almost impossible to believe. ... But that's Tiger Woods—he does things no-one else could dream of doing."
Now, Williams has been tapped to help Day win his first title this season. Per Dan Kilbridge of Golfweek, it's unclear if the pairing is permanent or just for this U.S. Open. Luke Reardon has been Day's regular caddie since 2017.
It's certainly plausible that Day is simply looking for a spark. He hasn't won a major since the 2015 PGA Championship and hasn't won at all since the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship.
Williams is a keen choice for Pebble Beach specifically, as it's the site of Woods' 15-stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open—a major record.