Harrington was destined to beat Tiger says Williams

Tiger Woods' caddie Steve Williams believes Padraig Harrington was "destined" to beat his boss in Japan.

The Dubliner edged out Woods in a play-off for the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament two weeks ago.

And Kiwi bagman Williams - the top earning 'sportsman' in his native New Zealand - was not surprised.

He said: "It was a bit unusual for Tiger not to win when he has got a two shot lead with three to go. But Harrington seemed destined to win that event.

"Uncharacteristically, Tiger hard missed a fairway on the back nine which is not like him.

"He normally misses one here or there and Harrington had hardly hit one until the last hole. We lost on the second hole of a play-off to a birdie. You are going to win some and you are going to lose some, but it is no big deal."

Williams and Woods had another incredible year, winning nine times, including two majors.

But the Kiwi bagman still looks back on the Ryder Cup at the K Club as the low point of an otherwise amazing season for the World No 1.

Williams was red-faced when he dropped Tiger’s nine-iron in the lake at the seventh, but not half as embarrassed as the American team after another massive defeat.

He said: "We have been on the end of a trouncing two times in a row now. We lost every session and were never in it, right from the get-go and you can't dig yourself a big hole.

"We got out of it a the Country Club in Boston in ‘99 but that was a one-off sort of deal.

"There is no question that the camaraderie amongst the Europeans is far superior than it is among the Americans. You can see that.

"At the end of the day, they had a better team on paper and a better team on the course so we were the definite underdogs this year and couldn't come up with the goods."