In golf, numbers don’t lie, but sometimes, caddies could be forced to fudge the numbers.
When that caddie is Steve Williams, the longtime right-hand man to Tiger Woods, the revelation hits like a misread putt on Sunday.
On the latest episode of GOLF’s Subpar podcast, Williams admitted he intentionally gave Woods incorrect yardages during rounds, sending shockwaves through the golf world and leaving former professional golfer Colt Knost stunned.
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“I’m still shocked by this,” Knost posted on X, reacting to the confession.
Woods’ caddie, Williams, didn’t sugarcoat it but came clean.
“The biggest thing I did was adjust the yardages all the time,” he said. “I mean I was constantly doing that. You know, if it was 160 yards and it’s a 9-iron, I’d be telling him it’s 170 or something.”
The reason was simple for him: Tiger’s adrenaline.
“When he was running a little warm… he would walk quicker, he would talk quicker. Everything became a bit quicker,” Williams explained. “The ball started going further and further.”
One of the most jaw-dropping examples came at Bay Hill, during the final round of one of Woods’ many victories.
“I didn’t give him the right yardage, the correct yardage, on any shot for the entire round,” Williams noted. “I did that so often when he got running hot and got the adrenaline going.”
Did Tiger Woods, the legend of the golf world, ever know what his long-time bag man was up to?
“It took him a while to figure it out,” Williams recalled. “He said, ‘Just keep doing it. You know what you are doing.'”
The admission has sparked debate across the sport. Was it deception or genius?
Fans flocked to the comment section after Knost’s post.
“Ask Tiger to confirm, please,” a fan typed under the post.
ask tiger to confirm please.
— Joel Strickland (@joelspov) July 4, 2025
Many wanted Tiger to comment, but others chose to mock Williams.
This dude lies a lot
— Mr. Joe Nunamaker (@JoeMama1567546) July 4, 2025
According to Williams, it was about understanding Tiger’s physiology and mental state under pressure. Given Woods’ record-tying 82 PGA Tour wins and his 15 majors, it’s hard to argue with the results.
As for The Big Cat’s current status, the legend is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon, which required surgery earlier this year.
He missed the first three majors so far in 2025 and is expected to skip The Open Championship at Royal Portrush as well. Tiger’s doctor, Dr. Charlton, shared that the 15-time major winner is expected to fully recover by early 2026.
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