Sir Williams camera story

[Farzin]

By DOUG FERGUSON, AP Golf Writer
The caddie for Tiger Woods said he was wrong to kick over a news photographer's camera during the U.S. Open (news - web sites), blaming his snap decision on hearing too many clicks from too many cameras at the wrong time. "I lost my cool," Steve Williams said Thursday in a telephone interview from the Western Open, where Woods is playing this week. "I shouldn't have done that."
But he offered no apologies for taking a camera away from a fan at Shinne Hills, and no guarantee that he wouldn't do that again.
"I'm not being a bully," Williams said. "I'm just doing what I have to do to make our jobs easier."
Woods has come under intense scrutiny over the last four months, especially when he failed to contend at the Masters and U.S. Open to extend his streak to eight majors without winning.
Much of the attention is built around his split two years ago from coach Butch Harmon, who said during the U.S. Open that Woods' swing is nowhere close to where it was during his record-breaking 2000 season.
Williams said more photographers are coming onto the practice range to try to shoot Woods' swing sequence, making it difficult for them to practice.
Photographers clicked four times during his tee shot on the 18th hole during the final practice round at Shinne, causing Woods to pick up his ball and curse them under his breath.
It all boiled over in the second round at the U.S. Open, when Williams walked across the 10th tee and kicked the lens of photographer John Roca from the New York Daily News.
In the final round, Williams spotted a man taking pictures behind the second tee. He walked into the crowd and took the camera, which belonged to an off-duty police officer.
"I don't regret taking the camera off the guy," Williams said. "I don't know how he got it on the grounds. If all the security and marshals were doing their job, it wouldn't happen. I'm not sorry about that."
Golf prohibits fans from bringing cameras onto the course once a tournament begins. However, it happens and several incidents led to Williams' goon-like tactics at Shinne.
During the final round of the Memorial in late May, Williams placed the golf bag in front of a special camera designed to analyze swings. At the U.S. Open, he spotted a photographer taking pictures of Woods' swing on the practice range and positioned himself and his bag in front of the camera.
"We get to the practice tee on Friday and there must be 50 to 70 people sitting not far behind us, and this guy has a swing-sequence camera and I go over and asked him to refrain while we're practicing," Williams said. "So we go to the 10th hole for the first tee shot. Tiger gets on the tee, the guy announces his name and he's standing behind the ball in his pre-shot routine. He's just about to step to the ball and the camera goes off."
Williams said he had no problem with the national photographers who routinely cover tournament golf.
"They do their job 100 percent properly," he said. "It's the people that come every now and then, to a tournament like the U.S. Open, that are difficult to deal with."
Woods has backed up his caddie, saying recently that he "went too far." But he urged tournament officials to take a tougher stand on fans with cameras and news photographers who click at the wrong time.

"Hey, it happened," Woods said Wednesday. "Steve felt bad for what he did. He got a little frustrated, and he did something he probably shouldn't have done."
Williams is a no-nonsense caddie from New Zealand who previously worked for Raymond Floyd and Greg Norman. He has been on Woods' bag for five years and their relationship is strong; he rarely mingles with anyone else — tournament officials, fans, the media. He is, however, prone to making rash decisions when it comes to protecting his boss.
Two years ago at the Skins Game, a photographer who was not credentialed took a picture while standing some 20 feet behind Woods as he played a bunker shot. It cost Woods the final skin, and Williams took the law — not to mention the lens — into his own hands.
He took the man's camera and dropped it on a steep bank, allowing it to roll into a pond. Williams was fined by the PGA Tour, and Woods said he gladly paid the unspecified amount.
Commissioner Tim Finchem told reporters in Chicago earlier this week that the tour has upgraded its security, and he encouraged players and caddies to "use that route."
"Under certain circumstances, it's understandable that a player or caddie takes matter into his own hands," Finchem said. "If there's 10 situations, they'll be handled 10 different ways. And some of those will be ways which the public or the media look at it and say, 'This is inappropriate.'"
Williams said the negative press doesn't bother him.
"Look, you're trying to do the best job you can for your player," he said. "Sometimes I might overreact. But all these people making comments, how about they spend a week with us?"
He heard some heckling during the pro-am round Wednesday at the Western Open.
"Some guy was taking a photo of Tiger and said, 'Hey, Steve, can I get your photo? Oh, I forgot, you don't like cameras. I should hide this,'" Williams said. "I actually thought that was quite funny."


Tiger Woods (news) signs autographs for fans after finishing his round in the Chick Evans Memorial Pro-Am at the Western Open Wednesday, June 30, 2004 in Lemont, Ill. Last year Woods won the Western Open for the third time in seven years, leading wire-to-wire and matching the tournament record of 21-under 267. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

BTW. Phil is coming to town for Bell Canadian open.
let the Tiger bashing start all over, This Time Steve has the honours.

[NoBack]

Point set and match............

My point exactly. Tiger makes the news when he finally signs autograph. Only good press he's gotten since he won that match play event a few months ago.

[Deep Woods]

My point exactly. Tiger makes the news when he finally signs autograph. Only good press he's gotten since he won that match play event a few months ago.

Tiger won something?

[mberube]

To me Steve made the right decision. If I were a caddy for an amateur or tour player, I would do anything to make sure my boss has nothing else to think about but hit his or her shot.

This has nothing to do about Tiger. This has everything to do with security not doing their job.

[NoBack]

I agree with the security not doing their job properly BUT that does give some caddy the right to act as god or god's right hand man. It does not give williams "carte blanche" to do whatever he feals like doing. Maybe he should be checking ID's at the gate and maybe later start serving drinks too because someone else didnt do their job properly??


Look, he said he went too far. Even god said he went too far. That's it.

[mberube]

I agree with the security not doing their job properly BUT that does give some caddy the right to act as god or god's right hand man. It does not give williams "carte blanche" to do whatever he feals like doing. Maybe he should be checking ID's at the gate and maybe later start serving drinks too because someone else didnt do their job properly??

I did not know that a waiter not doing his job will disturb a player when executing a shot.

Look, he said he went too far. Even god said he went too far. That's it.

Hi did say that he went too far BUT he never apologised. To me he said what the public wanted to hear and to get the media of his back.

[psniddy]

Every day we have a new post about Tiger, or some related Tiger story. He isn't winning and hasn't been for a while now but he is still the most talked about player in this forum. I'm sure that there are tons of players on tour who would love the press time he gets, good or bad, and right now there are a few who deserve it more. Lets talk about some of them.

[mberube]

Every day we have a new post about Tiger, or some related Tiger story. He isn't winning and hasn't been for a while now but he is still the most talked about player in this forum. I'm sure that there are tons of players on tour who would love the press time he gets, good or bad, and right now there are a few who deserve it more. Lets talk about some of them.

You first!

[Farzin]

You first!

[NoBack]

How about the play of Stephen Ames. Gotta luv it.

[psniddy]

Stephen Ames is having a great year. As far as I now he hasn't destroyed anyone elses personal property either.

[mberube]

How about the play of Stephen Ames. Gotta luv it.

About time he won. He was starting to make me think of Phil and his major shortage before his Masters win. Ames was always up there but never on top.

[NoBack]

What does he have? Like 8-10 top 10 finishes??? The guy is playing great golf.

mberube.....................kinda neat being on the same page on this one isnt it?

[Farzin]

How about the play of Stephen Ames. Gotta luv it.

How about player of the year for Stephen. No, he is too quiet a guy, and his caddy doesn't kick cameras either. he has to do more than winning.

[mberube]

Stephen Ames is having a great year. As far as I now he hasn't destroyed anyone elses personal property either.

Give me a break. You cannot compare the attention Tiger has to Ames gallery.

It is unbelievable how many saints there is in this forum. Nobody has ever blew a gasket, ever cursed, ever threw a club, ever kicked his bag.... :shake

How has never sinned may throw the first stone!

[mberube]

What does he have? Like 8-10 top 10 finishes??? The guy is playing great golf.

mberube.....................kinda neat being on the same page on this one isnt it?

Yep!!! I like Ames. He is a very good player and he lives in Calgary.

[Deep Woods]

Stephen Ames is having a great year. As far as I now he hasn't destroyed anyone elses personal property either.

Give him time.

[Deep Woods]

To me Steve made the right decision. If I were a caddy for an amateur or tour player, I would do anything to make sure my boss has nothing else to think about but hit his or her shot.

This has nothing to do about Tiger. This has everything to do with security not doing their job.

Well, if taking things in your own hands is what its all about, it also gives the camera man (and I hope Williams runs into one one of these days) to beat the living out of the person who damages a $5000 camera.

[mberube]

Well, if taking things in your own hands is what its all about, it also gives the camera man (and I hope Williams runs into one one of these days) to beat the living out of the person who damages a $5000 camera.

If I am in my working environment and people would come nag and disturbed me, preventing me to do my job, well I would eventually snap.

As for somebody getting a one on one with Steve, have you seen this guy? He is quite the horse.

[psniddy]

I work in an office and employees customers and my boss constantly pester me with rediculous requests etc. but I don't get to take it out on them if I want to have a job tommorow. It's crazy that Mr. Williams is not held to the same standard because his boss protects him. Lets face it if this keeps up Tiger will be the one who pays the consequences as he loses fans.

[NoBack]

Lets face it if this keeps up Tiger will be the one who pays the consequences as he loses fans.

This is the feeling I get from this forum alone. He has lost many fans indeed.

[broken27]

As for somebody getting a one on one with Steve, have you seen this guy? He is quite the horse.

He's quite the horse's ass at any rate. Besides which, it's not the big guys with a temper you have to worry about. It's the small guy who is willing to take them on that should concern you.

dan

[mberube]

He's quite the horse's ass at any rate. Besides which, it's not the big guys with a temper you have to worry about. It's the small guy who is willing to take them on that should concern you.

dan

Ya! That's why sports are dominated by giants

[broken27]

Ya! That's why sports are dominated by giants

I'd be willing to bet that Bruce Lee (were he still alive today) could kick Mike Tyson's ass. My point was that the lummox Steve Williams is nothing to fear. It's one thing to act tough when you're inside the ropes at an event with high security. It's quite another to attempt the same bravado on the street or in a bar.

He's a jackass, regardless. Hopefully someone punches his face off.

Dan

[Farzin]

Dan: I thought you were gonna stay out of this one. You couldn't, Could you?

[broken27]

Dan: I thought you were gonna stay out of this one. You couldn't, Could you?

Hell, I tried, but there's only so much a guy can take....

Dan

[Deep Woods]

As for somebody getting a one on one with Steve, have you seen this guy? He is quite the horse.

Theres always a bigger horse. Besides, if he can't fight, his size doesn't mean anything.

[mberube]

Theres always a bigger horse. Besides, if he can't fight, his size doesn't mean anything.