“It was like I was his slave,” Steve Williams wrote in his book, ‘Out of the Rough: Inside the Ropes with the World’s Greatest Golfers’. He could never find peace with how Tiger Woods treated him during their 12 years together on the fairway. However, he still stuck around because of how much success they found together. So Williams was surprised when Woods decided to fire him. As bitter a pill as it was to swallow, he doesn’t hold any animosity towards his former boss anymore.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
In fact, discussing Williams’s latest book about his career as a looper, Evin Priest revealed in the Tee It Up Podcast some interesting details. Evin is a PGA Tour reporter for Australian Golf Digest and is helping Steve write his latest autobiography. He joined to discuss the details of the book. During a segment, the host asked Priest if he and Williams had approached Woods & his team to contribute to the book.
“No, because we felt like we really wanted this to be Steve’s story. We did approach him later in the process, just to say that the book is coming out and it’s a massive celebration of Tiger anyway,” said Evin as he explained what kind of story they were trying to share through the book. Involving Woods in the development stage of the story might have created some conflicts, considering the tense relationship between him and his ex-caddie. After the bashing he received from Williams in ‘Out of the Rough’, Woods and his team would have certainly tried to curate the narrative a lot differently than what is written in this book.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Priest also said, “It’s a real celebration of not only his career, but his 12 years with Steve Williams. But we wanted to tell the story from Steve’s perspective. That was, to us, the most unique thing. There had never been a book that focused specifically on Tiger Woods & Steve Williams. To provide the most authentic experience for what we were trying to achieve, reaching out to Tiger, it would have made the book a bit more like the other books that already existed.”
While Williams was co-writing the book with Priest, it is actually a story about the incredible career of Tiger Woods. Having spent 12 years working for him, Steve would certainly have many amazing memories to share about how the 82-time PGA Tour champion used to think. He might give the world a glimpse at some of the most amazing locker room conversations and stories from training grounds that reveal how Woods was able to deliver high-intensity performance regularly.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Before closing the segment, the analyst had one last request from the 15-time major winner. He said, “We did reach Tiger in the end. I’m sure he’d love the book. I hope he reads it because it’s a massive compliment. It’s a love letter from Steve Williams to Tiger Woods.” While some of Steve’s past works were filled with bitterness, this time around, he’s showing nothing but love towards Tiger. Hence, he has also chosen the appropriate title for it, ‘Together We Roared,’ remembering how they dominated the world of golf together, one tournament at a time.
via Getty
Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking a 4 feet putt to win the US Masters Golf Tournament with a record low score of 18 under par 13 April 1997 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, United States. (Photo by Stephen Munday/Allsport/Getty Images)
Moreover, this is not the first time Steve Williams or his work has reflected positively on Tiger Woods. His recent interviews show how he’s over his anger and is recollecting the better times they shared. Many might not know, but they even met in 2024 at the Genesis Invitational and had a friendly banter too.
Has Steve Williams had a change of heart towards Tiger Woods?
In the moment, as he carried Tiger Woods’s bags, Steve Williams would have felt like a slave. It’s understandable considering he had to pick up the clubs the big cat was throwing out of frustration. However, years later, the veteran caddie regretted saying what he did about his former boss and holding the grudge with him for so long.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Even when he joined Dom Harvey on a podcast, Williams expressed how he would like for Woods to read the memoir. He told the YouTuber, “Look, the copy that you receive is called a galley copy, which we sent to Tiger’s management people, hoping that he would read, and I’m pretty sure he would read, to be honest. I would think he’d find it very, very good. It’s a very accurate, true account. It’s very thoughtful, the book.” The book was released in April 2025 and has received a 4.25 rating on Goodreads.
So, while past remarks painted a fractured relationship, Together We Roared signals a shift—a story less about grudges and more about gratitude. By choosing to frame his memoir as a tribute rather than a takedown, Williams not only reclaims his perspective but also offers fans an inside look at the relentless pursuit of greatness he witnessed up close. Whether Woods himself ever reads it or not, the book stands as a testament to their shared dominance and the respect that, in the end, outlasted the bitterness.
