EXCLUSIVE: Tiger kept away from race row caddie at Australian Open

The Tiger Woods race row has taken a dramatic twist as it was revealed the former world No 1 and his old caddie Steve Williams will be kept apart at this week’s Australian Open.

Woods and Williams’ current employer Adam Scott are the star attractions in Sydney and were expected to be paired for the opening two rounds on Thursday and Friday. 

However, tournament director Tony Roosenburg firmly ruled out the possibility  after Williams described Woods as a ‘black a***hole’ on Friday night.

Apology: Adam Scott (right) asked caddie Steve Williams to say sorry

It also emerged that the half-hearted apology Williams offered over the weekend was only at the orders of Scott.

In answer to a question from Sportsmail, Scott angrily revealed he had
ordered his caddie to deliver the mea culpa.

‘What do you want?’ Scott said. ‘I got him to apologise.’

When Roosenburg was asked the chances of Scott being drawn with Woods, he said: ‘Buckley’s and none’ — Aussie slang for slim and no chance — before outlining the lavish ways in which they were aiming to please Woods.

Debut: Tiger Woods will make his first appearance in Australia this week

He added: ‘This is Tiger’s first visit to Sydney and we want to make it a
five-star experience.’ 

Scott’s failure to sack Williams and the abject response by the golfing authorities means the story will continue to run. It threatens to overshadow not only the Australian Open but the President’s Cup match, a Ryder Cup-style affair between an American side featuring Woods and a Rest of the World side starring Scott that follows in Melbourne. 

‘We should be gearing up for the greatest summer of golf in recent memory,’ began a piece in this morning’s Australian newspaper. ‘Instead a
fading superstar and a disgruntled caddie threaten to hijack the entire show.’

Happier times: Woods with Williams before the pair parted company

Greg Turner, former European Tour pro and a Kiwi compatriot of Williams, said: ‘I can’t see this ending well. I have been trying to think of a context that might have been acceptable and I can’t come up with anything.’

The controversy began on Friday when Williams told a caddies’ awards
dinner in Shanghai that the aim of a gloating celebration in Tiger’s direction in August was to ‘shove it right up that black a***hole.’

Woods is due to talk to the media on Tuesday.

http://parodoksnews.blogspot.com