Tiger Woods can be a hero to some, and a villain to others. But for his former caddie Steve Williams, the veteran golfer delicately balances himself on the two’s shared glorious past and the ruination that followed immediately after. For 12 years, Williams dutifully carried the bag, lending his able shoulders for Woods to rely on—both emotionally and professionally. Together, the duo won 13 major championships, achieved an impressive 63 PGA Tour victories, with the player becoming the world’s top-ranked golfer for much of the Kiwi’s tenure. In 2006, the five-time Masters champion even served as the best man at his caddie’s wedding. The result? An unceremonious, and shocking exit exactly five years later.

At the helm of the soured relationship was the 2011 US Open where Woods was forced to withdraw owing to a knee injury, and Adam Scott dialed up the then temporarily jobless Williams to seek his services. Tiger initially didn’t seem bothered with the idea, but his agent dialed up the caddie some days later with a pointed warning: “If you go and caddie for your friend, that will be the end of your time caddying for Tiger.” Williams did it anyway. The next phone call he received a couple of days later was of his sudden firing, leaving the duo on non-speaking terms for 12 years. But over the years, Woods’ heart has softened.

While the two officially reconciled sometime in 2023, there are some things that they still can’t agree on. Like, the World Golf Hall of Famer eclipsing Jack Nicklaus‘ 18 major championship record. There was once a time when the Williams wholeheartedly believed the idea was achievable—several times between 1999 and 2011, the pair had discussed the idea, even dreaming of racking up 21 (Williams’ favorite number) major victories. In fact, everyone believed Nicklaus’ record would fall, but injuries, personal troubles, and time wait for none. In light of this, Williams also had to give a sobering reality check to his former partner.

In a recent interview on The DOM HARVEY Podcast, Williams was brutally honest about Woods’s chances of surpassing Nicklaus’s major count. “It’s unlikely to happen now, isn’t it?” the host asked, to which the 61-year-old responded, “Oh, you know it can’t happen now,” Williams stated matter-of-factly. His blunt assessment comes despite their recently mended relationship. Williams had visualized the record-breaking moment countless times. It motivated him throughout their partnership.

“I dreamt about it all the time. Every day when I was home in New Zealand, I thought about that,” Williams revealed. He could picture the historic moment vividly in his mind. “I could see it happening at Augusta. I’d played it over and over in my head.” That dream fueled him during their years together. Each major victory felt like another step toward inevitable history.

But reality proved more challenging than their ambitious dreams. The 82x PGA Tour winner’s mounting physical struggles and multiple surgeries derailed his once-relentless march toward the record. After the 2008 U.S. Open victory, Woods’s 14th major, injuries began taking a serious toll. Williams pinpointed the emotional impact this had. “The moment that picture in my head was shattered, it just was never the same,” he admitted. The dream that had motivated him for years disappeared as the golfer’s body continued to break down. Williams now believes the record is permanently safe from Woods’s grasp. However, he also pointed another important fact:

“I don’t believe there’ll ever be another player that’ll get to the position where we would even talk about it. That’s just how special [Tiger] was…Fast forward 50 years down the line…there’ll be no player that we’ll be talking about, that will be in that position to break Jack’s record There won’t be another athlete…or another golfer that comes along, that could be so dominant in the major championships like [Tiger] was.”

As for Williams’ pessimistic attitude toward Woods’ achieving his lifelong dream, his thoughts are pretty opposite from the golfer’s thoughts. At the 2024 Masters pre-tournament press conference, Woods had spoken candidly that he could win one more major: “If everything comes together, I think I can get one more [major]. I still think they [things coming together to win] can. I don’t know when that day is, when that day comes, but I still think that I can. I haven’t got to that point where I don’t think I can’t.”

The candid assessment comes as a surprise considering their tumultuous past. Williams once made headlines with comments about their working relationship that were deemed uncomfortable. In his 2015 memoir, he compared picking up Woods’s discarded clubs to being treated like a “slave.” This remark created significant tension between the former partners. Their relationship seemed irreparably damaged. Yet time has healed those wounds.

Williams has shifted his stance considerably in recent years. His upcoming book, “Together We Roared,” reflects this changed perspective. “I wanted golf fans to know I have nothing but admiration for Tiger,” Williams explained recently.

Their once-fractured relationship has found reconciliation. Williams now speaks about Woods with respect rather than resentment.

The legendary Woods-Williams partnership remains unmatched

Williams takes immense pride in what they accomplished together. “However you look at it, we won more tournaments together than anyone in any other partnership,” he stated proudly. They also claimed more majors than any other golf partnership. Their success speaks for itself through these remarkable numbers. Williams now views their time together through a lens of appreciation.

Their partnership produced some of golf’s most iconic moments. The “Tiger Slam” of 2000-2001 stands as perhaps their greatest achievement. Woods’ 15-stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open showcased their dominance. These historic performances changed golf forever. Williams witnessed greatness from inside the ropes every week.

Thankfully, over the years Williams and Woods have found their way back to each other. Detailing the same, the caddie had said in another interview how chance encounter at the Genesis Invitational helped them get back to normal, “I don’t know if time heals but when you step away from the Tour and sort of reflect on things, I felt it was time. When a player and caddie fall out or one gets fired or one leaves it’s generally you split and that’s the end of the story. The caddie moves on to another player. That’s the end of the road, basically. When I did see Tiger at Riviera a couple of years ago, he had mellowed, too. He’s not in the thick of competition every week. He’s a lot more relaxed. We chatted, it was very cordial and way more relaxed.”

But despite that, there’s actually a very, very slim chance Williams’ dream will ever come true. Having said that, even without breaking the 18-major record, Woods completely transformed the sport. His legacy extends far beyond the major championship tally. Do you agree?