Steve Williams, the legendary caddy, remembered the candid counsel he offered Adam Scott that resulted to Australia’s first-ever Masters victory.
After a few close calls, most notably Greg Norman in 1986, 1987, and 1996, Australia’s Masters drought has stretched to 79 years by 2013.
Williams had been with Scott for 18 months at that point, after been sacked by Tiger Woods in 2011 after a 13-year partnership.
Scott’s association with Williams has propelled him to new heights, nearly delivering a first major at The Open Championship in 2012.
Scott was one stroke behind leaders Angel Cabrera and Brandt Snedeker going into the final round of the Augusta National in 2013, with fellow Australians Jason Day and Marc Leishman also in contention.
Day led with three holes to play and seemed to be on his way to winning the renowned green jacket but bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes disrupted his assault.
Scott had one hand on the trophy following a birdie at the 18th hole, but Cabrera birdied the hole as well, forcing a playoff.
The two each made par on the opening playoff hole before proceeding to the 10th, a lengthy downhill par-4.
Both players had a nice chance at birdie in the steady rain, but the Argentinian was farther away, which meant he’d putt first.
Before bogeys at the 16th and 17th holes disrupted his assault, Day owned the lead with three holes remaining and seemed destined to wear the fabled green jacket.
After making a birdie at hole 18, Scott had one hand on the trophy, but Cabrera also made a birdie to force a playoff.
After making par at the first hole of the playoff, the two players moved on to the long, downhill par-4 of the tenth hole.
Both golfers had a decent chance to make a birdie in the steady rain, but importantly, the Argentinian was further away, meaning he would putt first.
Scott was left with the greatest putt of his life after Cabrera made a “wonderful putt,” in the words of CBS announcer Jim Nantz, but for some reason it managed to linger just over the hole’s edge without falling.
Williams said that he knew he was poised to end Australia’s Augusta hoodoo after Scott struck his approach shot in an interview with the Chasing Majors podcast.
It was an intriguing procedure, he remarked, and the moment we walked up from the second shot is one that gives confidence for the rest of your life.
“In my opinion, it is the most significant golf shot Adam has ever needed to hit, and he hits it perfectly.
“It was a stunning golf stroke. I let him go ahead, and it suddenly dawned on me what was going to happen.”
At that time, Williams’ years of expertise at Augusta National proved decisive. While Scott had never putted from that spot before, Williams, who first caddied for Greg Norman at the Masters in 1987, understood precisely what it would do.
“I knew he’d never had that putt before,” Williams recounted.
“I had that experience with Greg Norman, who had the putt, and I remember it breaking more than it seemed.
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“That’s all I could think, and when he arrived, he said, ‘Oh Steve, it’s dark, take a look.’
“I was overjoyed, but even if he didn’t ask, I was going to look because I knew he wouldn’t realize how much that broke.”
The difference was Williams’ expertise, since, as the caddy had said, Scott had miscalculated the amount the putt would break to the left.
“He took a read and thought it was a cup out (to the right), and I said, ‘That’s not even f…ing close, it’s two-and-a-half cups with a little speed,'” he said.
“I’m not sure whether it was the proper term at the moment, but he stood there looking confident, produced a great stroke, and the rest is history.”
Scott also talked on the Chasing Majors podcast, stating that having a putt to win a major title is every player’s goal.
“I stood over the putt and knew it was going to win the Masters.” “I produced a stroke that I believed demonstrated my will to win,” he recounted.
“It went in the left portion of the hole, about four or five feet by, it was a really rapid putt.”
“It has to be a confident roll to make that putt more often than not. It might lip in if I dollied it down, but it could also shatter over the front.”
Williams thinks the excitement of the occasion is still as strong nine years later as it was in 2013.
“I’m getting chills just thinking about it. It was a joy to witness Adam achieve that and have one of his goals come true “He said.
“He wanted it so hard, and it was incredibly amazing to be on the bag and witness someone fulfill a destiny, a dream.”
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