A world-class golfer, and an even bigger celebrity, Tiger Woods, is one of the biggest stars on the planet. And his off-course antics are just as legendary as some of his best holes-in-one.
With incredible talent and an eye for the party scene, the American icon has won the hearts of fans across the world. However, few can say they really know the man behind the clubs. But from first-hand experience, his former caddie, Billy Foster, can tell us exactly what the life of the 15-time Major winner is like.
Read: NFL ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR 2023 London fixtures (sporf.com)
Speaking exclusively to Boyle Sports, he said: “I remember telling Tiger that for all his fame and money, I would never want his life.
“We were walking through the crowd from the clubhouse to the first tee, about a 200-yard walk, and all the fans were screaming at him. I thought, ‘My God, my ears are bleeding; I’ve got to get out of here!’
“He had pen marks all over him. We got to the first tee, and I said. ‘That reminds me of working for Seve Ballesteros but on speed.’
“You can’t sit down in a restaurant and have a meal or go to a bar and have a drink without loads of people all over you wanting selfies and autographs. Everyone wanted five minutes of his time.
“I said to him: ‘You could be a multi-millionaire, have any woman you want, you could be the best golfer that has ever lived, but I wouldn’t swap your life.’
He said: ‘Billy, that’s why I don’t play so much’.
“I got it. You almost felt sorry for him.”
Lee Westwood said he would caddie for Tiger Woods if Billy Foster wouldn’t
Matt Fitzpatrick’s current caddie, said: “He came up to Darren Clarke at the Bridgestone and had a chat with him, then walked away.
“Clarkey turned around to me and said, ‘You know what that was all about?’ I said, ‘What?’
“Tiger has just said that Steve Williams (his regular caddie), his wife, is having a baby and is taking the week off. Is it all right if I ask Billy to work for me at the President’s Cup?’
“Tiger has offered you the job. What are you gonna do?’ I said I didn’t know.
“Lee Westwood, who was five yards away hitting some balls, said, ‘If you’re not going to work for him. I will!’
“First thing I thought was that this guy was going to win 25 Majors playing left-handed. He was that good. He is the best of all time. It’s just that for the last 15 years; he’s been crippled, that has stopped him doing it. He would have won 25 majors, he was that good.
He continued: “I’ve thought to myself, this is an opportunity to tell your kids or your grandkids, ‘I worked for Tiger Woods once. I’d worked with Seve. I’d worked with the best from two generations.’
“The thing that stood out for me was his manners which were impeccable. Please, and thank you for everything. Just to see him hit shots on the range. He was just in a different league.
“He’d have a bucket of balls, and you’d look at where he had hit the ball, and you’d not think anyone had been there. There were no divots. Just brushed every shot off the surface. It was an incredible experience which I will take to my grave.”
Featured Image Credit: Getty
