Steve Williams sends Tiger mixed messages

He might have treated him like a slave, but Tiger's estranged caddie Steve Williams still thinks his old employer will be back in the winners' circle sooner rather than later. Or does he? A bit like a spurned lover, the Kiwi looper is sending mixed messages to his former boyfriend, I mean employer...

The dream team: Tiger, Williams & Butch... what happened lads?!! Oh,.... yeah, now I remember....

It all starts friendly enough: "I don't doubt he will come back to the winner's circle," Williams told BBC’s 5 live Golf. "He is a great competitor, he has an incredible work ethic - when he can work hard - and one thing he does know how to do is win.

Tiger hasn't lifted a club in anger since finishing 10th at the Wyndham Championship in August last year and is currently recovering from another injury, this time involving back surgery.

I know what happened when I was 40: I suddenly got slightly fat and started going "aaaahhhhooohhh" every time I got out of a chair. And that's how old Tiger is. 40. Blimey, where does the time go? One minute Tiger's holing that crazy chip at the Masters, the next he's 950th in the world.

Between 1999-2011, these two shared 84 victories, including 13 of Tiger's 14 majors.

Anyway, Tiger has had nasty back issues for years, probably due to his vicious golf swing causing chaos in his rotator cuffs and over maximising his glutes. It all culminated in a second back surgery in September last year before having a follow-up procedure in October.

A couple of weeks ago we were told that Tiger's recuperation was not going well, leading to rumours that he would never pay again. Tiger's agent Mark Steinberg called such allegations "complete toss", or something to that effect. Days later, Tiger posted a video of himself hitting balls (rather gingerly it has to be said) on his simulator at home. 

So, these remarks by Williams should be well received by Tiger, apart from the fact that the New Zealander doesn't rate Tiger's chances of winning any more majors. 

"He has that ability to win even when he's not playing his best," says Williams. "But whether he comes back and wins major championships? That's going to be a very difficult task."

So what exactly are you saying Steve? If this was the early stages of a love affair, poor Tiger wouldn't know whether you wanted to kiss him or not. And then he goes on to wag a finger in his face by questioning his training regime. Tiger has brought all this on himself apparently.

"So, what are you saying?...."

"I guess when he looks back, he might question some of the activities that he did," says Williams. "Some of the gym work that he might have done that, you know, had all these injuries escalate." 

When asked if Woods had trained more like an athlete rather than a golfer, Williams said: "It is very hard to pinpoint how he has got to where he is now, but I'd have to say there is a lot merit in what you've just said."

Steve Williams is 94.

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