BRISBANE, Australia — Anthony Quayle hit a short iron approach to a hidden pin on the 10th green at the Royal Queensland Golf Club during the second round of the DP World Tour’s Australian PGA Championship when iconic caddy Steve Williams knocked him out of the shot.
“I told Anthony the wind had changed and the shot was five yards shorter,” Williams said. golf digest After the round.
advertisement
Quayle, a 31-year-old Australian golfer and new member of the European circuit, braced himself with the latest information and hit a close-range draw over a bunker against a left-to-right wind. He made one putt out of six birdies and added one bogey for a 66, moving him to nine under par and one stroke behind Kazuma Kobori, who took the 36-hole lead in the DP World Tour’s 2025-26 season opener.
It was a snapshot of a moment that explains why Williams is one of the greatest professional golf whisperers in history.
Williams offered advice on a much bigger stage in the career loop of Tiger Woods, who helped him win 13 majors, a partnership that included winning the 2013 Masters, and years spent with the likes of Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch and Ray Floyd.
Golf Digest Details
podcast Steve Williams, in-round betting with Tiger, and the generous side of Woods that no one talks about
News and tours Tour pros predict hole-in-one and vehicle prize on eve of DP World Tour Aces
News and tours Breakout DP World Tour star can’t wait for this moment at the Masters
advertisement
Now retired, Williams, 62, enjoys imparting wisdom and helping young tour pros on temporary assignments. He is Quayle’s caddy for the Australian PGA and the Australian Open at Royal Melbourne next week.
Quayle was in awe of the mental edge he felt at Royal Queensland, the golf course that will host the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, under Williams’ clear and concise guidance.
Including that moment on the 10th hole at Royal Queensland.
“It’s unbelievable. Those traits are very rare,” Quayle said after the round. “I think he’s really got his head down.[It’s]cool for a player to see that.[Certainly]I felt like he wasn’t going to do it unless he was 100 percent ready, and the moment he did that, I felt pretty confident. The way he worded it and the way he delivered his message erased any doubts and it felt like that new plan was the only plan and it just went through with it.”
advertisement
Quayle, who hails from the remote town of Nhulunbuy in the Australian Outback part of the Northern Territory, secured one of three DP World Tour cards for the 2025-26 season through the Australian Tour Order of Merit earlier this year. He had previously been on a lucrative tour of Japan for several years.
As Quayle prepared to set sail for Europe, he wanted Williams to consult him during two DP World Tour co-sanctioned events in Australia.
With a tournament purse of $2.5 million, the PGA of Australia is the richest tournament Down Under. Quayle already felt his approach had changed after 36 holes with Williams. He focuses more on his practice rounds and spends less time on the course, but treats each shot the same way he would during a competition.
In the tournament, well, Quayle has seen how it goes. He has continued to perform well, finishing in the top 10 in all four tournaments on the Australian Tour leading up to the two big dances, this week’s PGA and next week’s Australian Open.
advertisement
“I felt like I played really well there,” Quayle said as Williams sat in a chair just a few yards away, writing down the round’s statistics, as he did for Woods and the other players he caddied for. “I gave myself a lot of chances. Stevie’s looking at the stats now…but I think I hit every green except one today. That one hurt a little bit because it was 80 meters in the middle of the fairway, but everything was really good. I feel like I had a good plan to get around it.”
Quayle has won two Australian state-level tournaments, the Queensland Open and the PGA. But given the stakes are high, he is hoping to make the step up in Australia’s two biggest championships. At next week’s Australian Open, the winner will receive an invitation to the 2026 Masters at Augusta National, while the top three on the leaderboard (not yet exempt) will qualify for the 2026 British Open Championship.
“Anthony won the fight,” Williams said. “[This week]is the first time we’ll see him play up close, but if we’re lucky enough to win at the Australian Open, he has a match to play at Augusta. I think everyone will be excited next week. It just brings a new level to the Australian Open. It’s already a great event and we’ll be celebrating that Stonehaven Cup for many years. If you look at it, great players like Gary Player, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Jack have traveled the world and won the Australian Open.”Other than majors, Nicklaus has always been considered one of the most important tournaments in golf, along with the Canadian Open. ”
perhaps. But there are still two rounds left at Royal Queensland. And Quayle is exactly where he wanted to be.
Editor’s note: Book co-authored by Evin Priest and Steve Williams together we howledabout Williams’ career as a caddy working for the likes of Woods and Scott.
