Is Steve Williams really racist?

Posted on: 7 November, 2011

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There was a lot of noise about a comment Steve Williams made at the annual Caddie Awards dinner over the weekend. Granted, it was a very stupid thing to say, but does it make him a racist?

Williams received a mock award for the ‘Celebration of the year’ for his TV interview after his boss Adam Scott won the Bridgestone Invitational. Tiger Woods’ ex-caddie claimed it was the best win of his career, despite winning 13 Majors on Woods’ bag.

The yearly Caddie Awards dinner is generally a very relax affair with ample banter and joking amongst friends, which Williams obviously took a bit too far when he accepted the award by saying, “It was my aim to shove it right up that black a******.”

Not smart Steve, not smart.

The party is known as a bit of a roast where the caddies give each other and the players a lot of stick, and the provision of the event is that all comments are off the record.

But Williams’ comments were the talk of the town long after the dinner was over.

When informed the next day that his words had made front-page news, Williams couldn’t believe it, "Why would they do that?" he said. "The whole thing was meant to be fun."

However, shortly afterwards he posted an apology on his website.

"I apologise for comments I made last night at the Annual Caddie Awards dinner in Shanghai," it said. "Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year, and the spirit is always joking and fun. I now realise how my comments could be construed as racist. However, I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologise to Tiger and anyone else I've offended."

Now the Mole finds it incredibly difficult to believe that Williams is a racist. He worked with Tiger for 12 years, that would be a pretty bitter pill to swallow for a bigot just for some cash.

Williams is known as a bit of a ‘talk now, think later’ type attention hound, and thinking about what the vibe of a caddie awards dinner must be like – it was a recipe for disaster.

I think Adam Scott nailed it on the head when he said, "Look, anything with Tiger involved is a story.”

Scott added that he would not be firing Williams over the comment, and that he was not a racist.

"We all know that's not the case," he said. "Everything in that room last night was all in good spirits and a bit of fun, probably taken out of that room in the wrong context."

After an emergency meeting between European Tour chief George O'Grady and PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, it was decided that Williams’ apology was enough and no further punishment would be handed out.

"The International Federation of PGA Tours feels strongly there is no place for any form of racism in ours or any other sport," their statement said.

"We consider the remarks of Steve Williams, as reported, entirely unacceptable in whatever context.

"We are aware that he has apologised fully and we trust we will not hear such remarks again. Based on this, we consider the matter closed, and we will have no further comment."

Australian Open officials have already announced that they will do everything in their power to make sure Williams and Woods don’t run into each other, but no such promises can be made a week later at the Presidents Cup.

You can bet your bottom Dollar that one or both of the captains will be thinking about how they can use the friction between Woods and Williams to their advantage. I can imagine it’d also be quite the draw card for crowds if Adam Scott is paired against Tiger.

Racist? No. Stupid? Without a shadow of a doubt. What do you think?

Should Scott and the two tour chiefs been harsher on Williams? Let the Mole know your thoughts.

Stretch

Very few people in their right mind will ever come out and say ” I am a racist”. Like wise Steve Williams will never say such even if he were. Only he knows deep down what the truth is. We can all defend and accuse but the truth is inside him somewhere. He knows he has to say the right thing in his situation because his career depends on what he says.
Phala Modise

This is not the first time Steve makes a rude comment. A few years ago he commented on supposed Tiger’s dislike for Phil which came out to be a figment of his imagination. His comments after winningthe Bidgestone on Adam’s bag having won many tournaments including Majors showed that the man is a twitt.
Anyone trying to defend this bigot needs seriousself examination.
Anonymous

this whole thing has been blown out of proportion… Im a white male that caddied on the Sunshine Tour,my best friend and player is colored. I was one of very few white caddies on the tour during the past year and the majority of others were black. Comments were thrown day in and day out towards me, but i didnt retaliate at all. most of the time i knew it was a joke n part of the banter that comes with sport in our country, although there were times i was unsure – u cant be quick to pass judgement. leave the guy alone and let him do what he does best. thats caddy!
MickiM

thats a joke. ive caddied on the Sunshine tour… being a white caddy – i get slack day in and day out from the black caddies. do i think i cause a scene or big deal out of it. no? cause its all in the banter of the game – just like in any sport. what u think happens on the football feild, rugby feild etc… its a Mountain made out of a mole hill. get over it, move on. he is possibly the best caddy that has ever been around, n now look after a silly comment – prob after a fair amount of alcohol that had been consumed prior to making the comment. move on and get over it
Johnnie

For 12 years se sucked that a******, stevie knows the colour best….
JanPot

Have fun guys just relax and enjoy the time. We all feel some day and some times we just had enough and want to get it out and done. Forget what happened and look forward.
Paul

What a shame that whenever there is an issue, comment or anything that involves white and black, it always turns to racism, we live in a multi racial world and can people just not let go about this racist nonsense…grow up everybody, it is white ****and black *** and nothing will ever change it, just leave it alone
John Moore

GET REAL!
CG Volschenk

The whole world is over emotional and obsessed with rasism. And a spade is a spade.
Vollie
Fezile

This comment is unacceptable and Steve, as a celebrity should have known better. Defending him makes me sick!
Dieter

I feel the same as Steve. Shove it up…….. and so on.

And I am also NOT a racist, but Tiger’s behavier prompted that remark.
Prins Joel

I’m with you Garth! Let’s hope the captains line it up
private party

when on tour everything said or done stays on tour, the big mouth that took the statement out
the room is the nasty,not steve
Harmony

I trust that if someone hd said White A*****there would be just as much of a cocern about racist
Boshoffc

Has anyone owned up to letting the cat out the the (caddies’) bag? I agree it was a “foot-in-the-mouth” moment for Stevie, but find it totally disgusting that someone decided to go public with it. This whole “racism in sport” thing is being squeezed into a rotten banana. Would it also be considered racist if someone was called a “white a******”? I don’t think so.
Jonkerw

Steve, simply does’nt understand his position, he is a caddie, not a player.
Adam will be well advise to rid himself of Steve, Steve is becoming contraversial in his own right and eventually it will affect Adam’s game adversely.
Officials shoud have banned him for at least a season… To afford him time to get over his ego, after being fired by tiger.
Reggie

Williams, Darren Scott, John Terry,etc put on this show that they are not racists but rub them the wrong way and their true character emerges. Then they go into denial and people like the Mole will defend them with arguments that will not wash. If you utter racist comments then you are racist.
Garth Milne

not a very smart thing to say Stevie, but a bit of a mountain out of a mole hill situation! Looking forward to the President’s Cup clash. Hope the captains line it up!
Mwgoosef

The whole issue doesn’t even deserve amention. Everything always get taken out of proportion. I don’t even think anybody died out there, did they?
Peterfham

Wait a minute. All this excitement because of the word “black”. It would have been rude to say “shove it up his ass”, but nobody would have bothered to phone the media. I think old Stevie was just being descriptive. I guess 99% of the people in golf would call Tiger’s ass “black” if they had to choose a colour.

As for Steve being racists where Tiger is concerned? Have you watched golf over the last 12 years? Tiger and Steve were smiliong and joking on the course
Klaus

If Tiger would have said something along those lines it would be a scandal, Williams says something completely unacceptable and it gets swept under the carpet? WRONG!!!!!!!!!
Colin

This is a subject far too complex to be debated here.
JSF

Why are only white people racists, do blacks love all white people, just a thought.
John

Phala take the chip of your shoulder and accept that this friendly banter was not supposed to get out of the room.
Stretch

Very few people in their right mind will ever come out and say ” I am a racist”. Like wise Steve Williams will never say such even if he were. Only he knows deep down what the truth is. We can all defend and accuse but the truth is inside him somewhere. He knows he has to say the right thing in his situation because his career depends on what he says.

peter

I THINK THE WHOLE RACCISM THING IS OVERRATED…ITS NOT THE WHITE MAN’S FAULT YOUR BLACK,MAN…BEST THING FOR U IS TO GROW UP AND ACT LIKE YOUR NOT BLACK THEN RACCISM WILL DIE ANYWAY!

Klaus

If Tiger would have said something along those lines it would be a scandal, Williams says something completely unacceptable and it gets swept under the carpet? WRONG!!!!!!!!!
Peterfham

Wait a minute. All this excitement because of the word “black”. It would have been rude to say “shove it up his ass”, but nobody would have bothered to phone the media. I think old Stevie was just being descriptive. I guess 99% of the people in golf would call Tiger’s ass “black” if they had to choose a colour.

As for Steve being racists where Tiger is concerned? Have you watched golf over the last 12 years? Tiger and Steve were smiliong and joking on the course
Mwgoosef

The whole issue doesn’t even deserve a mention. Everything always get taken out of proportion. I don’t even think anybody died out there, did they?
http://twitter.com/SmileyMilne Garth Milne

not a very smart thing to say Stevie, but a bit of a mountain out of a mole hill situation! Looking forward to the President’s Cup clash. Hope the captains line it up!
Reggie

Williams, Darren Scott, John Terry,etc put on this show that they are not racists but rub them the wrong way and their true character emerges. Then they go into denial and people like the Mole will defend them with arguments that will not wash. If you utter racist comments then you are racist.

Dave

Yes exactly the same for the PGA Tour and the European Tour for shrugging it off because they have no clue of the consequenmtial impact of racism! We see it week in week out on the courses in SA! WHen it comes to weekly prize giving, handicaps etc. it is only the people of colour who are ringers and cheat on their scorecards!

Jonkerw

Steve, simply does’nt understand his position, he is a caddie, not a player.
Adam will be well advise to rid himself of Steve, Steve is becoming contraversial in his own right and eventually it will affect Adam’s game adversely.
Officials shoud have banned him for at least a season… To afford him time to get over his ego, after being fired by tiger.

http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Moore/1170144388 John Moore

GET REAL!
MickiM

thats a joke. ive caddied on the Sunshine tour… being a white caddy – i get slack day in and day out from the black caddies. do i think i cause a scene or big deal out of it. no? cause its all in the banter of the game – just like in any sport. what u think happens on the football feild, rugby feild etc… its a Mountain made out of a mole hill. get over it, move on. he is possibly the best caddy that has ever been around, n now look after a silly comment – prob after a fair amount of alcohol that had been consumed prior to making the comment. move on and get over it

Dave

Get real and don’t use alchohol as the excuse for bigotted behaviour and downright foolish commentary. So what Steve only had the “guts” to say what was in his mind anyway only after the alchohol forecd him to?

Boshoffc

Has anyone owned up to letting the cat out the the (caddies’) bag? I agree it was a “foot-in-the-mouth” moment for Stevie, but find it totally disgusting that someone decided to go public with it. This whole “racism in sport” thing is being squeezed into a rotten banana. Would it also be considered racist if someone was called a “white a******”? I don’t think so.
Harmony

I trust that if someone hd said White A*****there would be just as much of a cocern about racist
private party

when on tour everything said or done stays on tour, the big mouth that took the statement out
the room is the nasty,not steve
Prins Joel

I’m with you Garth! Let’s hope the captains line it up
Dieter

I feel the same as Steve. Shove it up…….. and so on.

And I am also NOT a racist, but Tiger’s behavier prompted that remark.

Vivacious

And who are you to Judge Tiger? Are you honestly that innocent or you have not been caught out yet? Tiger’s behaviour is not isolated – and therefore for a man to want to criticise is honestly hypocritic!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fezile

This comment is unacceptable and Steve, as a celebrity should have known better. Defending him makes me sick!
CG Volschenk

The whole world is over emotional and obsessed with rasism. And a spade is a spade.
Vollie
Paul

What a shame that whenever there is an issue, comment or anything that involves white and black, it always turns to racism, we live in a multi racial world and can people just not let go about this racist nonsense…grow up everybody, it is white ****and black *** and nothing will ever change it, just leave it alone
JanPot

Have fun guys just relax and enjoy the time. We all feel some day and some times we just had enough and want to get it out and done. Forget what happened and look forward.
Johnnie

For 12 years se sucked that a******, stevie knows the colour best….
MickiM69

this whole thing has been blown out of proportion… Im a white male that caddied on the Sunshine Tour, my best friend and player is colored. I was one of very few white caddies on the tour during the past year and the majority of others were black. Comments were thrown day in and day out towards me, but i didnt retaliate at all. most of the time i knew it was a joke n part of the banter that comes with sport in our country, although there were times i was unsure – u cant be quick to pass judgement. leave the guy alone and let him do what he does best. thats caddy!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Phala-Modise/100000969658963 Phala Modise

This is not the first time Steve makes a rude comment. A few years ago he commented on supposed Tiger’s dislike for Phil which came out to be a figment of his imagination. His comments after winning the Bidgestone on Adam’s bag having won many tournaments including Majors showed that the man is a twitt.
Anyone trying to defend this bigot needs serious self examination.

John

Phala take the chip of your shoulder and accept that this friendly banter was not supposed to get out of the room.

JSF

Why are only white people racists, do blacks love all white people, just a thought.
Colin

This is a subject far too complex to be debated here.
Dave

Yes exactly the same for the PGA Tour and the European Tour for shrugging it off because they have no clue of the consequenmtial impact of racism! We see it week in week out on the courses in SA! WHen it comes to weekly prize giving, handicaps etc. it is only the people of colour who are ringers and cheat on their scorecards!
Dave

Get real and don’t use alchohol as the excuse for bigotted behaviour and downright foolish commentary. So what Steve only had the “guts” to say what was in his mind anyway only after the alchohol forecd him to?
Vivacious

And who are you to Judge Tiger? Are you honestly that innocent or you have not been caught out yet? Tiger’s behaviour is not isolated – and therefore for a man to want to criticise is honestly hypocritic!!!!!!!!!!!!!
peter

I THINK THE WHOLE RACCISM THING IS OVERRATED…ITS NOT THE WHITE MAN’S FAULT YOUR BLACK,MAN…BEST THING FOR U IS TO GROW UP AND ACT LIKE YOUR NOT BLACK THEN RACCISM WILL DIE ANYWAY!
pete

a persons tong is the smallest part of the body and causes the biggest damage.but think sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words should never harm me.bad words you should take as a man. i grew up ruff if bad words came my way i would send then back to where they came from.the men of today are a bit weak.that is why all the want to do to each sue. each other. like in the usa. let it be .
Msu

Really!! A private party where “The party is known as a bit of a roast where the caddies give each other and the players a lot of stick, and the provision of the event is that all comments are off the record.” and the media and fellow caddies don’t respect this!!

The media has really turned this into something nasty and should be the ones held responsible. The last time I saw Tiger he was black.
pete

a persons tong is the smallest part of the body and causes the biggest damage.but think sticks and stones can hurt my bones but words should never harm me.bad words you should take as a man. i grew up ruff if bad words came my way i would send then back to where they came from.the men of today are a bit weak.that is why all the want to do to each sue. each other. like in the usa. let it be .
Msu

Really!! A private party where “The party is known as a bit of a roast where the caddies give each other and the players a lot of stick, and the provision of the event is that all comments are off the record.” and the media and fellow caddies don’t respect this!!

The media has really turned this into something nasty and should be the ones held responsible. The last time I saw Tiger he was black.
Trevor

He certainly loved the Black money, a lot of whites would like to cover up for this, this, this, this ( oh, name calling is so lame) racist remarkes are distasteful
Trevor

He certainly loved the Black money, a lot of whites would like to cover up for this, this, this, this ( oh, name calling is so lame) racist remarkes are distasteful

Is Steve Williams really racist?

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