Tiger Woods not ready to relinquish crown says caddie Steve Williams
Both Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are capable of toppling Tiger Woods from his perch as world No. 1 at the end of this month - but either man should enjoy the achievement while they can, at least according to Woods' caddie Steve Williams.
The Englishman is set to overtake Woods at the end of this month, while Kaymer could yet overtake both men in the same week, depending on his performance at the Andalucia Valderrama Masters. But according to one of Woods' closest confidantes, the 14-time major winner's time at the top may not quite be over just yet.
Williams, Woods' outspoken, New Zealand-born caddie, is reported to have told Reuters that on the strength of his performance at the Ryder Cup last week, Woods is fast approaching a return to his best form.
At the biennial tournament at Celtic Manor last week, Woods showed some glimmer of his best, particularly on the final day of the tournament where Woods beat Francesco Molinari 4&3, and even at one stage holing an eagle from the fairway.
With his divorce behind him, a new swing coach in Sean Foley, and perhaps a renewed sense of optimism, perhaps the man who has dominated golf for the last 15 years is capable of returning to top form.
Certainly, Williams is backing his man, claiming the 34-year-old is the most motivated he has ever been as he bids to reassert himself as the foremost man of the fairways. Woods has held his position at the top for the last five years, and over the course of his career has spent an astonishing 620 weeks in total atop the list.
The fact that the player has managed to retain his position at the top of the table throughout most of 2010, despite his poor play this year, demonstrates just how far ahead of his contemporaries he was before matters away from the course contributed to the deterioration of his game.
But while talk of Woods' supposed motivation is encouraging, it should be noted that the golfer has already played well on occasion this year. It is consistent excellence that has so far eluded the man in 2010.
Woods' final day's play against Molinari at the Ryder Cup may have recalled the player at his best, but let's not forget that Woods and playing partner Steve Stricker had previously been soundly beaten by Lee Westwood and Luke Donald in the same competition.
And it is of course in Williams’ best interest to talk up his boss, too. Still, if Woods really is determined to fight for his position as the greatest golfer on the planet, that at least points to an interesting power struggle over the next few months.
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