Tiger Woods exclaimed “f*** you” to his caddie Steve Williams after he was questioned during the 2008 US Open. The golf icon battled through the pain barrier to clinch the 14th Major of his career in San Diego after refusing knee surgery in the lead-up to the event.

The victory remains the penultimate Major of Woods’ career so far, with his most recent one coming 11 years later at the Masters.

The 49-year-old rarely competes for silverware these days and failed to make the cut at three of the four Majors last year.

Woods is one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport and is second only to 18-time champion Jack Nicklaus in the all-time Major title standings.

But he turned up to the 2008 US Open with two stress fractures in his tibia and in need of reconstructive surgery.

During the American’s second round, his knee cracked as the pain intensified. But he was unwilling to take advice from Williams, despite the fact the duo ended up working together for 12 years. 

“He gets his tee shot onto the cart path. And he’s got cleats on spikes,” explained the caddie as he remembered the incident during an appearance in a documentary.

“And as he went to hit the ball, his foot slipped out and I heard the crack in his knee. I just saw the look in his eyes – it was like he’d just been shot.

“I said to him, ‘Hey Tiger, you might be jeopardising your career here. Maybe this is a time to quit’. And I’ll never forget, he looks at me and he goes, ‘Stevie, f**k you, I’m winning this tournament’.”

Woods went on to lift the trophy after sinking an iconic putt on the 72nd hole following a play-off against Rocco Mediate.

And detailing the extent of the knee injury, Williams added: “Tiger was in immense pain with his knee, and when they scope his knee out [ahead of the tournament] they discover he has no ACL.

“The doctors say to him, ‘You’re going to need major reconstruction’. But it’s Tiger. He says, ‘F*** that, I’m going to deal with that later’. He kept training, and of course he gets two fractures in his leg.

“I remember thinking you’ve brought it upon yourself. Self-inflicted. The doctors say to him, ‘You’re going to be out of the game for a while’, but he’s got the 2008 US Open looming.

“There wasn’t anything to stop him. Two fractures in his leg and an ACL. I could see the look on his face, the agony he was going through. We all looked at each other and thought, ‘He has no right to be playing in the US Open’.”

Woods