Williams: I've lost respect for Tiger

(EPA)

Steve Williams admits he has lost "a tremendous amount of respect" for Tiger Woods after the former world No 1 ended his 12-year partnership with the caddie.

Their relationship had been strained by Woods' sex scandal which broke in November 2009, and the New Zealander said: "I told him when we first met back up in 2010 at Augusta, he had to earn my respect back. Right now I've lost a tremendous amount of respect for him."

Speaking to TV New Zealand, the 47-year-old added: "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. I took it probably a lot better than my wife and family, but there's no way I should have been put through that. My name should have been cleared immediately. I never really got pardoned from that scandal so the timing of it [the sacking] is extraordinary. You could say I've wasted two years."

Williams has now taken up a full-time position with Australian Adam Scott. He said: "The last few weeks caddieing for Adam has kind of opened my eyes a little bit."