Tiger to use New caddie

Notes: Woods to use different caddie for the Presidents Cup Aug. 23, 2005
GolfWeb Wire Services

AKRON, Ohio -- Tiger Woods has employed only two professional caddies during his nine years on the PGA TOUR. He's about to get his third, but only temporarily.

Woods said he will use Billy Foster, the caddie for Darren Clarke, at the Presidents Cup next month. His regular caddie, Steve Williams, is going home to New Zealand because his fiance is expecting their first child.

Woods knows the English caddie from having played several rounds in practice and in tournaments with Clarke and Thomas Bjorn, for whom Foster also once worked.

"He's good at what he does," Woods said. "I've seen him work with Clarkey over the years, and he's had some success. There were a couple of guys I was considering, but I like his personality. He's very competitive, very feisty, and very similar to Stevie."

Foster plays off a 1 handicap. One example of his personality might be the time he caddied for the temperamental Seve Ballesteros. He had Foster put some fruit in the bag before a round, and eventually asked for an apple.

Ballesteros inspected the apple and told him, "This is no good."

To which Foster replied, "Do you want a caddie or a grocer?"

The Presidents Cup, to be played Sept. 22-25 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, is a match play competition between a team from the United States and an International team comprised of players from everywhere but Europe. Clarke has said he will not be playing that week in the Seve Trophy on the European Tour.

The only other pro caddie for Woods was Mike "Fluff" Cowan from the start of his career until early 1999.

As for Williams?

Woods said he was expected to be on the bag at the Deustche Bank Championship next week outside Boston, then return at the start of October for the World Golf Championships-American Express Championship in San Francisco.

He said Bryon Bell, his best friend from junior high school, would caddie for him Oct. 20-23 in the FUNAI Classic at the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort. Bell, who usually works at that tournament, was Woods' caddie when he won the Buick Invitational in 1999.

Fiance expecting Baby...wonder why their getting merried