Caddie tips best to come for Day

TIGER Woods’s former caddie Steve Williams says he is excited about the potential Jason Day possesses now that the pair have teamed up for the US Open at Pebble Beach.

Nineteen years after Williams carried the clubs for Woods during his record 15shot victory at the 2000 US Open at Pebble Beach, the New Zealand native will work for the Australian former world No.1 Day.

It is not yet known how permanent the partnership is but there is no doubt Day will want to retain the service of Williams long term, given he is considered golf’s greatest caddie.

The 55-year-old Williams was on the bag for 13 of Woods’s 15 major championship victories, while he also caddied for Adam Scott and was instrumental in the Australian’s breakthrough 2013 Masters win at Augusta.

Now Williams is charged with helping Day on his quest to secure a second major title, after his 2015 US PGA Championship success.

Williams looks at 31-yearold Day as a golfer tailor-made for the big stage.

“There are a lot of very good players in the game and I consider Jason one of those capable of winning big tournaments,” Williams said at Pebble Beach on Sunday.

“It’s early days but to have the opportunity to caddie for one of the top Australian players is really exciting.” Williams has been credited for helping sublimely talented players with reaching their potential.

He shot to prominence during a seven-year stint in the 1980s with legendary Australian Greg Norman, whose stellar career included two British Open titles among 88 professional victories.

Williams’s caddying career began in the 1970s under the late Australian great Peter Thomson, who won five British Open titles between 1954-1965, before he worked with Ian Baker-Finch.

“Australians and New Zealanders have a great relationships, because of the sports we follow there is always some common ground,” Williams said of his affinity for Australian golfers.

Scott, who is also competing at this week’s US Open, expected the partnership of countryman Day and Williams to be fruitful.

“If Steve is not the greatest caddie ever, I don’t know who is. He certainly has an incredible amount of knowledge of how to manage someone’s game and we’ve seen that with Tiger and him over the years,” Scott said.