Tiger Woods’ former coach Butch Harmon says he was ‘surprised’ his former caddie Steve Williams wrote a tell-all book about the golfer.
Williams penned ‘Together We Roared’ with Golf Digest’s Evin Priest and it hit the shelves last week.
The explosive book has given fresh insight into Williams’ 12-year association with the 15-time major champion.
Harmon told GolfMagic he would never write a book about Tiger or any of the players he has coached over the years.
“Just with [Greg] Norman, Tiger and [Phil] Mickelson alone I could write a heck of a book,” the 81-year-old said.
“My relationship with my players has been wonderful for 35 years and I don’t talk out-of-school stuff or personal stuff because that’s their life and their entitled to their life,” he said.
“I was surprised Stevie wrote the book. He has very good insight. I haven’t read it yet.
“I forgot that it came out now that you mention it so I’ll have to order it so I can read it but he had a lot to do with Tiger’s career.
“He was the man. He had to be the bad guy when things were going wrong. He had to go after the guy in the gallery because Tiger was never going to do anything like that.
“Stevie goes down as one of the all-time best caddies of all time.”
What did we learn from the book?
There were a number of gems in Together We Roared.
Williams revealed Tiger was extremely superstitious and had a lucky charm in his pomp.
Tiger was given a wooden tee before the 2000 Open and relied on it heavily.
Williams told Tiger to put it in his pocket whilst he played the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg.
Elsewhere, Williams revealed Tiger was thinking about quitting golf in 2004.
Williams said he did not try and talk Tiger out of it but the golfer changed his mind when he won the 2005 Masters.
Elsewhere, Williams revealed he thought his mate was pranking him when Tiger called to see if he would be his caddie.
The Kiwi told Tiger to ‘f— off’ initially.
Williams also said Tiger believed his toughest battle in a major championship was his duel with Bob May at the 2000 US PGA Championship.
He also wanted to win 21 major titles.
“I don’t really know what drives him now”
Tiger is now facing another lengthy spell away from men’s professional golf.
He ruptured his left Achilles in March whilst he was ramping up his practice sessions for the first men’s major of the year.
Harmon said he hopes to see Tiger at Augusta on Tuesday though it is not known yet if the golfer will make an appearance.
When Tiger won the 2019 Masters he revealed his primary motivation was so his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren Sam and Charlie could experience not associating their father’s golf with his physical pain.
“I don’t really know what drives him now,” Harmon said.
“Once again, this guy is the bionic man he’s had so many surgeries.
“It’s unbelievable when you think about it. He’s 49 years old and still trying to play and push himself to play.
“I would never say never with Tiger Woods. We have counted him out at least four or five times in the last five or 10 years and he proved us all wrong.”
Harmon also offered his thoughts on why he believes Rory McIlroy and not Scottie Scheffler is favourite to win the 2025 Masters.
He also thinks criticism of McIlroy’s caddie Harry Diamond is ‘extremely unfair’.
And he’s not sure Dustin Johnson is ‘100 per cent’ committed anymore.
