London bookies are now offering 8-1 odds against the return of the world's highest paid pin-tender to his position as Bag-boy for Tiger Woods.  Steve Williams, who has served for nearly 10 years in Tiger's employ,  immersed himself and his patron in a bit of controversy with off-hand remarks about Phil Mickelson at a charity dinner in New Zealand:

 "I wouldn't call Mickelson a great player because I hate the prick."

Although Williams is no stranger to controversy with his contentious barking at tour galleries and his occasional snatch and watery disposal of the odd spectator camera, this time the caddie's swelled head has clearly gotten too big to fit into the caddyshack.  Today Tiger hosts the opening of the Chevron World Challenge golf tournament at the Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, California and will certainly be called upon to interact with the press.  Woods has already felt compelled to address the issue, obliquely confirming his respect for Mickelson and his disdain for the caddie's obstreperous remarks.  While Tiger stated that the matter had been "discussed and dealt with,"  additional media heat directed toward Woods, coupled with the Mickelson management company's clear desire to keep this pot stirred, seems certain to help Steve Williams ease unceremoniously into retirement. 

 It could certainly happen to a nicer guy.  The PGA Tour has been able to remain remarkably free from the tabloid-style gossip and low-brow controversy that seems to embroil the rest of professional sports.  Sure there's the odd John Daly relapse, most recently a Williams re-enactment where Daly smashed a spectator's camera on his way to another missed cut at the Australian Open.   But Daly has served as comic relief to the more staid, country-club demeanor that prevails on the PGA Tour.  Daly is the tour's designated  screw-up:  while he may wander off to Reno and blow a half million dollars playing the slot machines, he remains generally affable and draws a certain element to the course,  somewhat akinto the fan who attends an auto race hoping for a crash.

Unlike, Steve Williams, however,  John Daly has earned his 15 minutes of defamation.  No amount of luck could account for two Major tour victories and Daly strikes a chord with Joe Six Pack or perhaps, in John's case, Joe Twelve-Pack.  Maybe New Zealand is so starved for a sporting connection that the Kiwis find Williams' tangential connection to pro sports sufficient  to care to hear his remarks.  I'm sure Tiger Woods doesn't care to hear any more of them.

8-1 that Woods unceremoniously gives Williams the boot by January 1?  I'll take the under.