There's Something to Be Said for Guys like Steve Williams

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 9, 2008 12:00 PM EDT Comment 9 comments

I know Stevie gets a bad rap because of how he handles photographers and annoying fans at times, but the guy just gave a million bucks to an Auckland children's hospital.

Williams, Tiger Woods' caddie since 1999, handed over a $1 million cheque to Starship children's hospital in Auckland yesterday.

He has witnessed his boss' meteoric rise in world golf but told The Dominion Post yesterday: "I've been very fortunate to have an exceptional life .... but nothing will compare to the feeling of being able to help and possibly save some lives."

Williams said his cut of Woods' earnings had contributed but he and wife Kirsty had worked hard to raise the donation they pledged a year ago.

Becoming a father two years ago had changed his perspective.

"You realise as parents how fortunate you are. Everybody knows somebody who's been hit by cancer."

After the piece on Vijay and his efforts, I am beginning to think that a lot of guys who may be considered "Scrooges" are really good, decent people at heart. Hell, even Rory Sabbatini donated money last year - although that was the fallout of bad PR.

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makes my head spin...

…forget all the names – a CADDY just donated a million dollars to a charity. A CADDY !!

I think that hospital should offer Stevie special care and a bounty on photographers – he just hasn’t gone far enough in the past – the next photographer he can definiltely identify who snaps during Tiger’s swing doesn’t just get his camera tossed in the lake – the PHOTOGRAPHER gets tossed in the lake !!! :-) (ok – maybe that’s too much – just take the camera and tell him or her that they can have it back at the gate when they leave) :-D

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 9, 2008 12:08 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

espn profile

Earlier this year, ESPN did a really good profile on Stevie Williams. This isn’t his first significant charitable gift.

Bag Man

by dianemarie on Oct 9, 2008 12:52 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Rory Sabbatini

Rory has always given generously – most of which you don’t know about. He emptied his wallet last year to a wounded vet on a flight, around $1,500. No publicity needed.

by LizS on Oct 10, 2008 10:58 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

it's a shame...

…that the only thing people think of about guys like Sabbatini are the blow ups on course or dropping out of Tiger’s tournament.

Personally, I loved the slow play “protest” – Ben Crane was miserably slow and wasn’t making any effort to speed up. And dropping out of Tiger’s tournament with the injury wasn’t the worst thing in the world – Tiger and Phil have skipped the Tour Championship and collected checks, but nobody villified them for taking the money without playing.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 10, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good to know

These things should seriously come out in the open. I know that Rory doesn’t really care what anyone thinks of him, but it would be good for more people to know these things. He did give some sizable sum in Australia last year, I think, but I couldn’t recall for certain.

Maybe we need to keep a charity watch for these guys?

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 10, 2008 11:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

didja ever notice...

…that only people who have negative public images say that they don’t care what people think about them ? :-)

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 10, 2008 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

tough to do

It’s tough to keep a charity watch on these guys – generally, they do things the right way and contribute to charities in private unless it is the charity – or the marketing people for a charity – who put them in front of the cameras.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 10, 2008 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs