It's pretty much impossible to know what actually went on behind the scenes, but on the surface, ' firing Wednesday of longtime friend and caddie Steve Williams is tough to understand.
"I want to express my deepest gratitude to Stevie for all his help, but I think it's time for a change," Woods wrote on tigerwoods.com. "Stevie is an outstanding caddie and a friend and has been instrumental in many of my accomplishments. I wish him great success in the future."
Woods has made several seemingly head-scratching personnel-type moves in his career, going through golf coaches the way he apparently used to go through mistresses.
I still remember thinking "huh?" when Woods fired fan favorite "Fluff" Cowan after a 2.5-year run that included a handful of victories, that iconic 1997 Masters championship and millions upon millions in prize money and endorsements.
Apparently there had been on-course friction between Tiger and Fluff, which might be normal in some circumstances, but Tiger Woods doesn't need to put up with anything Tiger Woods doesn't want to put up with.
That's why his swing coach at that time Butch Harmon is no longer his swing coach. Hank Haney isn't, either, although as far as the public knows, Hank left of his own volition.
I keep rooting for Tiger to turn things around, but he continues putting himself in positions that, on the surface, don't seem to make much sense.
It's true, Tiger Woods does know more than me about golf, and he knows his own game better than anyone. But it's tough to give him the benefit of the doubt on a move like this when he's shown in the past that personnel moves are not exactly his strong point.
Where might Tiger be right now, in terms of PGA Tour victories and major championships, if he'd stuck with Harmon? Or if he'd managed to hang onto Haney?
Great players, in every sport, need great coaches at some point in time. And if you golf, you know how easy it is to introduce some wrinkle into your game, some tiny flaw, that can cause everything to unravel. That's why golfers are always tinkering.
One difference between Tiger Woods and you and I, though, is that Woods can dissect his swing down to the subtlest movement and find the flaw on his own. Eventually.
Even still, you just can't undersell the impact guys like Fluff, Harmon, Haney and Williams have had on Woods' game.
With Williams on the bag, over a 12-year stretch, Woods won 72 times worldwide and claimed 13 of his 14 major championships.
Make no mistake, though, Tiger Woods is, without a doubt, the boss in every one of those player-coach and player-caddie relationships. But like any athlete, he'd benefit greatly from allowing himself to be coached. We've seen that truth in action throughout Woods' career, and seen him struggle when he tries to go it alone. He'll also benefit a great deal from keeping a caddie on the bag who knows his stuff and can help on the course. Beyond lugging around the sticks and handing over a club when it's time to hit, I mean.
Here's hoping that on-course life after "Stevie" Williams involves just such a person for Tiger Woods.
Sources:
Official: Tiger fires Fluff , Golf Today
Hank Haney resigns as Woods' swing coach , ESPN
, ESPN
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