c.2025, Wm. Morrow $30.00 320 pages
Three hundred thirty-six little pockmarks.
Placed atop a thick sliver of wood, the ball they’re on presents a challenge. Whack that dimpled sphere into 18 holes in the ground, do it in as few swings as possible, and you can ace the game. Do it and, as in the new book, “Together We Roared” by Steve Williams and Evin Priest, you could be a champion of a different stripe.
When the first call came, Steve Williams thought it was a prank.
It was a late spring night in 1999 and the voice on the other end of the line identified itself as Tiger Woods. Because Williams had a friend on the golf circuit who did an authentic-sounding Woods impression, Williams hung up the phone.
And the phone rang again. And again. Yes, it was Tiger Woods, who wanted to ask Williams to be his new caddy. Williams said he wanted to think about it.
Caddies, say the authors, are weather analysts, topographers, psychologists, mind-readers, and companions. The luckiest ones become friends with their bosses, which is what happened with Williams and Woods – although the fact always remained that Woods was in charge. Williams had to learn what Woods needed on the course, and hew to it firmly.
Sometimes, that meant getting up at “dark-thirty” to be ready to caddy as the sun rose. It meant knowing when Woods wanted a fan or another golfer to leave him alone – and to get rid of the interrupter quickly. It meant telling Woods which golf club was best, given the situation, and knowing when the time was right to argue with him.
As their working relationship deepened, so did their friendship. Williams enjoyed Woods’ “generosity and loyalty.” In turn, he cared for Woods on the course, giving his best for a dozen years until their partnership ended swiftly with the most explosive controversy.
Here are the first and perhaps most important words you need to know before you even touch “Together We Roared”: know golf.
Without a basic understanding of the game, the bulk of this memoir might as well be written in Cyrillic. Authors Steve Williams and Evin Priest talk the talk and their stories are thrilling and inspirational, but only if you know your way around a golf course. If you’ve watched a game with even the slightest knowledge of what’s going on, you’ll love the tiny nuggets of insight because it’s apparent that they come from a respectful insider whose aim is not to gossip. But this can’t be underscored enough: just being a Tiger Woods fan won’t be adequate and you will be thoroughly befuddled more than not. Reading it won’t be the fun you want.
If you’re a fan and a golfer, though, then yeah, this is a book for you.
In their introduction, the authors list common questions that they’re asked, and they promise to candidly answer them here. They do, and you’ll be glad. If you love the game, “Together We Roared” will fit you to a tee.
