Steve Williams with Tiger Woods in 2008 (Image: Joel Auerbach, Getty Images)
When golfing icon Tiger Woods ruled the sport around the turn of the millennium, his caddie Steve Williams accumulated a substantial fortune through his work with the great of the game. It had long appeared as though Williams’ record as the highest-earning caddie of all time would remain unmatched – but records are there to be broken. Williams, who hails from New Zealand, spent more than 12 years working with Woods during the American’s prime. His wealth was reported at $20million, which equates to approximately £14.9m in today’s money.
Woods secured 13 of his 15 major championship victories with Williams accompanying him. The only two exceptions were his maiden Masters triumph in 1997 and his remarkable victory at the same tournament at the age of 43. By the time Woods claimed his 2019 title at Augusta, Joe LaCava had assumed the position as his caddie. Williams’ considerable net worth still stands as the highest in the industry but is now facing a challenge, with Scottie Scheffler’s caddie Ted Scott rapidly closing the gap. Woods and Williams shared a productive partnership which brought title after title but the relationship came to an instant end in 2011. Woods publicly declared his decision to end their collaboration after Williams caddied for competitor Adam Scott at the US Open that year whilst he was absent from the tournament.
“Adam heard Tiger pulled out and wondered where I was. I phoned Tiger about it and he said, ‘No problem,'” Williams told PGATour.com in 2014. “After some thought, though, he didn’t agree with it. Tiger changed his mind.
“Well, I’d already told Adam I would be there. I wasn’t prepared to ring Adam up and say I can’t do it. I’m a man of my word. I had no idea I was going to get fired over it.
“I also hadn’t worked a lot. Not that I needed the money, but I wanted to work. I was told [by Tiger] after US Open that I no longer had a job and it’s as simple as that.”
Steve Williams with Adam Scott in 2023 (Image: Getty)
Williams revisited the issue in a 2021 documentary about former world No.1 Woods. “He had his agent call and he said, ‘If you go and caddie for your friend, that will be the end of your time caddying for Tiger,'” he recalled.
“I thought there was no way the guy is going to fire me. But a couple of days after the tournament I got the phone call to say our time had ended. I believe in my own heart I gave 100 per cent when I was caddying for Tiger the entire time I was with him, and for him to fire me over that kind of thing, I found that pretty unusual.”
He continued: “When he fired me, I thought he was firing me as a golf caddie and not as a friend. Tiger was the best man at my wedding, I didn’t think we’d have no communication for the rest of our lives.
“That just didn’t even enter my mind. To this day I find that a hard pill to swallow. Someone you spend 13 years with, with all your time and all your effort, and the guy can’t even speak to you.”
Scheffler’s right-hand man Scott is raking it in at a rapid rate (Image: Getty)
Since Williams’ retirement, fellow caddie Ted Scott has been rapidly climbing the wealth rankings. Although his exact earnings are not public knowledge, the PGA Tour standard of 10 per cent of prize money when their player wins, and five to seven per cent for other results depending on the finishing place, has prompted some to make estimates.
Golf Monthly’s calculations suggest that Scott could have earned more than $7m (£5.2m) across 2024 and 2025. He has partnered with world No.1 Scheffler for several major victories, including triumphs at the Open and PGA Championship in 2025. With Scheffler still just 29 years old, there is ample time for Scott to surpass Williams if he continues working with the American.
Meanwhile, Williams has temporarily come out of retirement to work with Australian professional Anthony Quayle. “Anthony’s had a lot of experience and he’s got the great opportunity this year of playing on the DP World Tour,” he told Australian Golf Digest.
“It’s a first time experience for him and he’s got the talent and ability. If I can pass on any information that might assist him in his journey, it’s worth it. I don’t look at it from the results standpoint these two weeks, it’s about what he can get out of me and to encourage him to fulfil his potential.”
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