• PGA Tour

My respect for Tiger is gone - Sacked caddie

Tiger Woods' former caddie Steve Williams admits he has lost a lot of respect for Woods after being sacked from his role earlier this week.

World No. 20 Woods, without a win since November 2009, severed his 12-year relationship with Williams on Wednesday, saying: "I think it's time for a change," in a statement on his website.

Williams, who admits he was shocked by the axing, believes he should have been afforded greater respect by Woods, having stuck by him during the scandal that erupted following a series of revelations about Woods' extra-marital affairs.

"I think anybody in my situation would say they didn't have total respect and that respect would have to be earned," Williams said. "Obviously this situation is certainly not earning my respect. I told him when we first met met back up in 2010 at Augusta that he had to earn my respect back.

"He was aware of that and he would know right now I've lost a tremendous amount of respect for him. Through time I hope he can gain my respect back. He definitely needs to earn my respect again, that's for sure.

"I'm a very big stickler for loyalty and I stuck with Tiger through his difficult period when a lot of people thought I should have left his side. That was the most difficult period that I've ever been through in my life. I'm pretty hard headed and took it probably a lot better than my wife and family did, but there's no way that I should have been put through that.

"My name should have been cleared immediately. It wasn't and that's what makes it even more disappointing what's transpired. I never really got pardoned from that scandal so the timing of it is extraordinary. You could say I've wasted two years of my life."

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