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For the first time in 13 years, Tiger Woods is on the look out for a new caddie.

Golf's most successful player/bagman relationship is at an end

Woods won 13 of his 14 majors with the brusque New Zealander at his side. Williams was a classic right-hand man, ready to assist his boss in any way possible.

That might simply have meant efficiently transporting his player's clubs around the course with the minimum of fuss, doing the basics of keeping up and shutting up.

Equally, it might mean suggesting the right club or line, or accurately interpreting the strength and direction of the wind.

It could also mean, as it did on at least one occasion, depositing an annoying camera in the nearest lake. If that's what it took to help Tiger, that's what he would do.

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Walking the 18 holes to witness first hand all 70 strokes played in Darren Clarke's final round at the 140th Open Championship was a rare privilege.

This was, of course, for one of European golf's favourite sons.

The emotion that cascaded from the grandstands surrounding the final green as Clarke made his victory march at Royal St George's will live long in the memory.

But just as enduring, and more significant, was the calibre and nature of the golf played by the 42-year-old from Northern Ireland to claim his first major title.

In an age when big-hitting beasts relentlessly roll off the golfing production line, it was so refreshing to watch a craftsman at work. Against the backdrop of often violent elements and challenging terrain, Clarke used the 14 tools in his bag to create a masterpiece.

So much of the modern game is about generating maximum clubhead speed and taking advantage of huge sweet spots has become a dying art and the game is the poorer for it.

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For much of the week in the Highlands all the talk was of how the new Castle Stuart course that staged the would provide the perfect preparation for players heading to the Open Championship.

The theory was well founded - a links test to provide a decent workout for the shots that will be needed on the Kent coast in the third major of the year.

But, as the thunder rumbled and the rain battered the Moray Firth, we started to wonder.
Suddenly the week became rather more stressful. Players were setting alarms for 0430 BST and the tournament was down to 54 holes. It had become a marathon and a sprint all rolled into one.

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Tiger Woods or ? Who would you prefer to grace your tournament?

Of course you want Woods to be there and the former world number one's .

Woods is still, by some distance, the biggest name in golf and draws fans wherever he plays. When he eventually returns from injury it will be a very significant story.

But next week's Open Championship is perfectly capable of prospering without this 14- time major champion. In fact it is hard to remember a more eagerly anticipated running of the game's oldest major, even though we now have confirmation that Woods is not playing.

There is no question of an asterisk being attached to the eventual winner either. Whoever triumphs will be a deserving winner of the Claret Jug and no-one will qualify the achievement by saying: "Ah yes, but Tiger Woods wasn't there."

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