BETHESDA, MD. (AP) - Tiger Woods isn’t at the U.S. Open this year. But his caddie is.
Steve Williams, who has been on the bag for 13 of Woods’ major championships, was working with Adam Scott at Congressional. A USGA official says they were seen together during a practice round Saturday at the course outside of Washington, D.C.
Woods withdrew from the U.S. Open on Tuesday because of lingering injuries to his left leg. He has not said how long he will be out.
Scott recently parted with longtime caddie Tony Navarro.
While speculation about Woods’ future figures to be rampant next week, Woods’ agent said Williams was only temporarily filling in for the 30-year-old Australian.
“Adam found out that Tiger wasn’t going to be playing the U.S. Open,” Mark Steinberg said. “He and Stevie have been friends for quite some time and he called and said, ’Can you help me out at the Open?’”
Steinberg said Williams first got permission from Woods.
“I think like anybody else, Steve doesn’t want to miss a major, just like Tiger doesn’t want to miss a major,” Steinberg said.
Scott, who split with Navarro after The Players Championship, used Mick Doran at Colonial.
It will be the second time Scott has worked with someone from the Williams’ family. Ten years ago, he briefly hired Williams’ younger brother, Phil, to be his caddie. Phil Williams had caddied only sparingly, but his previous work included a stint for Jack Nicklaus in the 1989 Australian Masters.
It was not immediately clear how long Williams would work for Scott, or how long Woods would remain sidelined. He still has the AT&T National, which starts June 30, listed as his next tournament on his website. There remains an outside chance Woods could play at Aronomink if he thought his leg was healthy enough to play the other two majors this year.
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