Tiger Woods race row: Sacked caddie causes outrage with 'black a***hole' outburst at awards dinner 
 
 Steve Williams posted an apology on his website 
 
 Woods' management said comment was 'regrettable' 
 
 By Emily Allen 
 
 
 
 Last updated at 4:37 PM on 5th November 2011 
 
 Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams has apologised for causing outrage at an awards dinner when he made a racist remark about his former boss. 
 
 Williams was given an award for the year’s best celebration - a reference to his tongue-in-cheek claim that his current employer Adam Scott’s victory at the Bridgestone Invitational in August was ‘the best win of my career’ - despite being on the bag with Woods for 13 majors. 
 
 
 
 Asked what the celebration was all about, the 47-year-old New Zealander said: ‘It was my aim to shove it right up that black a**ehole.’ 
 
 Centre of storm: Steve Williams stunned guests at a gala dinner with a racial slur when accepting a prize for 'best celebration' 
 
 The comment was met with a mixture of laughter and shock at the ceremony, with some players turning to each other with eyes widened and jaws agape. 
 
 One caddie said: ‘Never have you been in a room and seen so many jaws drop at the same time. We knew he was an idiot but we didn’t know he was a racist idiot. I was standing next to a European Tour official who said, “Thank God he is not on our tour”.’ 
 
 Approached early the next morning at breakfast, Williams was stunned to learn that British tabloids had gone with the story. 
 
 'Why would they do that?' he said. 'The whole thing was meant to be fun.' 
 
 He then posted a statement on his website saying: 'I apologise for the comments I made last night at the annual Caddie Awards dinner in Shanghai. 
 
 
 
 'Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun. I now realise how my comments could be construed as racist. 
 
 Blast: Williams and Tiger Woods worked together for more than 10 years 
 
 'However I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologise to Tiger and anyone else I have offended.' 
 
 The 100 caddies, players and guests in attendance had accepted their invitations on the condition they did not disclose what happened at the ceremony, held after the second round of the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament. 
 
 Mark Steinberg, Woods' agent at Excel Sports Management, was with the golfer when he heard the news. 
 
 He said: 'It's a regrettable comment, and there's really nothing that Tiger can do or say. He's just going to move on.' 
 
 Williams, who could now face a ban or even the sack, had been a regular caddie for Woods since 1999 and helped the American to 13 majors before being fired in July. 
 
 He hit out at the manner of the split and a month later was in the news again after his new employer, Scott, won the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Akron, Ohio. 
 
 
 
 New boss: Williams with Adam Scott on the 16th hole during the first round of the WGC-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club this week 
 
 Williams had told reporters: 'It's the most satisfying win I've ever had, there's no two ways about it. It's the greatest week of my life caddying and I sincerely mean that.' 
 
 He later apologised for those comments, saying his emotions got the better of him. 
 
 
 
 Williams has disputed Woods' version of how their partnership ended, and said he was short-shrifted by Woods despite his loyalty to the former No. 1 player during the sex scandal that derailed his career. 
 
 Scott is today preparing for his third round of the HSBC Champions. He is going for his second World Golf Championship of the year. 
 
 Woods and Scott are to be in the same group next week at the Australian Open, and there's chance they also could face off at the Presidents Cup in Melbourne the week after. 
 
 It's not the first time Williams has run into trouble for his words. 
 
 Three years ago at a dinner banquet in New Zealand, he made a disparaging remark about Phil Mickelson. 
 
 Williams said it was meant in fun, although he later apologised to Mickelson. ||||| Adam Scott is facing growing pressure to sack his caddie Steve Williams after he described Tiger Woods as "that black arsehole". 
 
 Williams, who was sacked by Woods earlier this year, made the comment while on stage at a "caddie of the year" awards ceremony on Friday. He later issued an apology to Woods and continued to carry Scott's bag during Saturday's third round at the Shanghai Masters. 
 
 It is understood that players, caddies and senior golf figures will ask Scott to consider Williams's position for this week's Australian Open in Sydney – where Woods is also due to play – and the following week's Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne. 
 
 "It's not an issue for me," Scott said. "I think everything in that room last night was all in good spirits and a bit of fun and I think it probably got taken out of that room in the wrong context. Steve issued a statement and apologised and he did the right thing." 
 
 Williams was on stage to receive his award for "celebration of the year" when Scott won the Bridgestone Invitational in Ohio in August, weeks after Woods sacked him. "It was my aim to shove it right up that black arsehole," he said on Friday. 
 
 Tiger Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg, said: "I was with Tiger last night when he heard the news. We got multiple calls from people who sounded like they were leaving the caddie party. Tiger obviously wasn't there. He doesn't know exactly what was said. But if multiple reports, which all seem to be accurate, are true, then it's sad it's come down to this. It's a regrettable comment, and there's really nothing that Tiger can do or say. He's just going to move on." 
 
 Anti-racism groups said Williams's apology was insufficient. Sabby Dhalu, secretary of One Society Many Cultures, said: "I think there should be an investigation into his behaviour and I don't think an apology is enough. The only way to root it out and prevent other people from behaving in the same way is to take sterner action, in the form of disciplinary action and I think an investigation should be conducted." ||||| While attending a "caddie of the year" event in Shanghai, where he won "Celebration of the year" thanks to his ridiculous behavior following Adam Scott's win at the Bridgestone Invitational—including claiming the victory was the greatest of his career—Steve Williams was asked why he made such an absurd statement and said "I wanted to shove it up that black arsehole." 
 
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 I can only imagine there were many audible gasps and much sucking of teeth after that damned record player skipped for the final time. Indeed, " organisers of the awards ceremony, held at the players' hotel, had declared the occasion 'private' and 'off the record' but when the guests spilled out of the venue they could talk of little else. 'I have never seen so many jaws drop in one room at the same time,' said one caddie who was present. 'I was standing next to a European Tour official and he said to me 'thank God he [Williams] is not on our tour'." 
 
 For "his" part, Williams seems to have realized that he is a stupid person and quickly apologized on his website. "He" wrote "I apologize for comments I made last night at the Annual Caddy Awards dinner in Shanghai. Players and caddies look forward to this evening all year and the spirit is always joking and fun. I now realize how my comments could be construed as racist. However I assure you that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to Tiger and anyone else I have offended." 
 
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 Adam Scott has, once again, been forced to defend his caddie's idiocy and remains loyal and unperturbed. He shot birdie-birdie-eagle on the final three holes to find himself three strokes back of the lead going into the final round of the World Golf Championship. He said he thought the quote was probably taken out of context. 
 
 Scott seems like a decent guy and I'm sure is privately pissed because it takes a special kind of person to make Tiger Woods look like a victim. It takes an arsehole, really. 
 
 
 
 Caddie Steve Williams In Race Row After Attack On Tiger Woods [The Guardian] 
 
 
 
 Adam Scott Withers Another Steve Williams Moment And Stays In Picture At HSBC [Washington Post]
– Tiger Woods' old caddy shocked the professional golfing world yesterday by calling Woods "that black arsehole," Deadspin reports. Accepting an award for "best celebration" yesterday in Shanghai, Steve Williams was asked why he called Adam Scott's win at the Bridgestone Invitational the greatest victory of Williams' career. "I wanted to shove it up that black arsehole," said Williams, filling the room with shock and laughter, the Daily Mail reports. Naturally, the backpedaling came swiftly. Williams posted a apology on his website, saying, "I now realize how my comments could be construed as racist. However I assure you that was not my intent." Golfer Adam Scott, facing pressure to fire Williams, said, "It's not an issue for me," and called the remark "all in good spirits," the Guardian reports. Wood's agent said it was "sad it's come down to this. It's a regrettable comment, and there's really nothing that Tiger can do or say. He's just going to move on."