GREG NORMAN has moved to defend Steve Williams as the storm surrounding the caddie’s racist remark about Tiger Woods shows no sign of abating.
Williams, currently employed by Adam Scott, worked with Norman for seven years. It is for his successful association with Woods, however, that the New Zealander is best known. Relations between Williams and Woods are unlikely to be cordial after the caddie’s now infamous assertion on Friday that his celebrations following Scott’s win at the Bridgestone Invitational were “to shove it right up that black arsehole”.
Yet Norman has backed his former bag man. “Steve’s not a racist, not at all,” said Norman ahead of this week’s Australian Open. “We’ve all made stupid comments at stupid times, unfortunately his stupid comment became global news and I know he probably regrets it. But I guarantee you in that room, that night, there were some heavier things said. Because of the temperature of what was going on between the two of them, anything that was said was going to exacerbate that feeling.”
Asked if he had encountered racism within golf, Norman said: “No, not at all, never seen it. Never seen it at all.” Scott himself issued a statement, in what will surely prove a fruitless attempt to draw a line under the controversy that began last Friday.
The Australian said: “There is absolutely no room for racial discrimination in any walk of life, including the game of golf. I have discussed this matter directly with Steve and he understands and supports my view on this subject. I also accept Steve’s apology, knowing that he meant no racial slur with his comments. On behalf of my team, I apologise personally to everyone that was offended by the reported comments. Please accept this apology so we can all move on.”
Norman called on Williams and Woods to settle their differences for the wider good of golf. “I hope it gets resolved,” said the 56-year-old. “Golf doesn’t need it; golf needs Tiger back playing great golf the way he used to.
“Golf needs the cohesiveness that’s always existed. There’s always been underlying currents, not everybody loves each other and, if we dislike each other, we just have a tendency of parting our ways and not seeing each other. To have it played out the way it has been is sad for the game of golf.”
Norman disputes any notion that there could also be a deterioration in the relationship between Scott and Woods. The pair will both play in the Australian Open in Sydney before lining up on opposing sides at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne next week.
“Adam’s a professional,” said Norman, the captain of the Presidents Cup international team. “Whatever Steve’s said was Steve’s opinion, not Adam’s. Steve obviously does a great job for Adam because Adam’s been playing some great golf since Steve’s been on his bag. I don’t think there’s any issue between Tiger and Adam at all.
“Does he [Woods] like to hear the things that run around? No, of course he doesn’t but he’s a strong-minded professional and I don’t see him having problems with it at all. He’ll walk by Steve and who knows what happens? He’ll have prepared himself in his mind much as Steve has prepared himself in his mind so it’s all done, it’s been said, it’s in the past.”
On the possibility of Scott and Woods facing each other directly in Melbourne, Norman said: “Everybody wants me to pair Adam and Tiger next week, right, and I’m sure there was a question about pairing Adam and Tiger this week.
“Of course, everybody wants to see it. I don’t think it’s the right thing to do from a promotional aspect, number one, because it should just be an automatic draw.”
The players will not be drawn together this week according to Australian Open tournament director Brian Roosenberg. “It was never going to happen. No chance,” he said.
