Monday
Apr142008
Stevie Reprimanded For Going Hatless
Thanks to reader Mark for this Reuters story about Steve Williams and his mysterious decision to remove his Masters green cap during part of Saturday's third round.
According to several caddie sources, Williams went several holes hatless before he was approached by a tournament official on the course and instructed to put his cap back on yesterday.No, really? Our Stevie?
Williams complied and had the green cap, part of the official caddie uniform at the Masters, on his head during today's final round at Augusta National as Woods finished second, three shots behind Trevor Immelman.
"If I've got to wear the cap, everybody's got to wear the cap," said one caddie, speaking anonymously.
"Every caddie has heard about what he did and nobody approves of it. Some of these people forget they're just a caddie.
"It should be an honour to come to the Masters. If you don't want to wear a hat, don't come. Believe it or not, the tournament will still go on without you."
It's not the first time Williams has failed to follow a tournament's dress code.
Two years ago at the Dunlop Phoenix tournament in Japan, where caddies also have to wear Masters-style white overalls, Williams peeled them down to his waist.
Williams caddied that way for several rounds until Mark Steinberg, Woods' manager, told him that it was disrespectful to the tournament.
Monday, April 14, 2008 at 08:32 PM
Reader Comments (17)
Guess this is just his way of saying, "Look at me, Look at me, I am important too" even though nobody cares.
When you say driving past players, are you referring to hitting shots over their head? If so, that was Bubba Watson.
I ask all of you: Have you EVER seen Williams working as a caddy without a hat, except on the occasion of the Masters, which is one of the few occasions when he is known to be required to wear a hat, and where he has been told, numerous times, that he is violating their dress code in one way or another?
I ask further: Is this all not in keeping with Williams innumerable offenses (again, some of which have been the subject of "discussions" and warnings) in which Williams strips off his caddy vest on the last hole, or unbuttons his coveralls, or cries foul over wearing long pants, or, as is the case here, takes off his cap for apparently the sole reason of breaching the dress code. Because he always, always wears a cap otherwise.
Add to this, the Williams incident in which he put Tiger's Buick-emblazoned regular bag strap onto Tiger's Ryder Cup bag. (What for? To give Buick a plug? Maybe, although I wonder why Stevie has a contract with Valvoline and not Buick if that's the case. Greater "comfort"? Baloney! They are all brand-new bags made by Burton or Belding; it just doesn't bear scrutiny.
I choose to use the word "sociopath" in relation to Williams because I think it's the best description. And in doing so, I discount entirely the camera-throwing incidents. If those were William's only sins, I'd defend the guy without hesitation. There's a screw loose with Steve Williams and authority.
But Williams' other anti-authoritarianism doesn't do Tige any good; it is an embarassment to Tiger insofar as anybody notices (which probably isn't all that much). Tiger gets no benefit from Williams' purposeful messing with tournament officials ove what he wears; it is just another problem for Team Tiger to deal with.
So, yeah, I still go with "sociopath," which doesn't neccessarily imply criminal beahvior -- it just means psychologically abnormal anti-social and/or anti-authoritarian behavior.
I wonder if Tiger is also getting a wee bit tired of him.
What everyone fails to mention here is that Tiger could stop Stevie's anti-social behavior on the drop of a tee. Stevie works at Tiger's behest and pleasure and if Tiger wanted to curb Stevie's antics, he could.
He doesn't want to, pure and simple.
He likes Stevie's pitbull personality. Keeps people at bay and makes Stevie look like the bad guy.
Trotsky's Icepick, excuse me, Hawkeye said it in the thread's first post.
Just clarifying that Tiger did not "driv[e] past players in the group ahead." I find your playing partner obligation argument a bit weak (I'd like to see a rule number on that one), but I can agree with profanity and the like. Franklyk, I just can't abide factual inaccuracies used to pile on. He has a list of mistakes and foibles, so let's not start making things up just to prove a point.