[Photo: Getty images]<\/p>\n
Popular Australian golfer Anthony Quayle has enlisted Tiger Woods\u2019 former caddie Steve Williams to carry the bag for two weeks as he begins his opening swing of tournaments as a DP World Tour member.<\/p>\n
RELATED: Australian PGA: Tournament favourite Marco Penge under injury cloud<\/a><\/p>\n The Northern Territorian was one of the feel-good stories of the 2024\/25 Challenger PGA Tour of Australasian season when he gave up status on the lucrative Japan Tour to chase one of three DP World Tour cards on offer for the best order of merit finishers on his home circuit.<\/p>\n He birdied the final hole of the Aussie season to snare the third European card. A year on, Quayle, from Nhulunbuy in the NT, begins his DP World Tour membership at this week\u2019s co-sanctioned Australian PGA at Royal Queensland and next week\u2019s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne.<\/p>\n RELATED: Australian PGA: Connor McKinney is riding a wave<\/a><\/p>\n The 31-year-old has won the Queensland Open and PGA and is hoping to step up to this week\u2019s Australian PGA, one of the two Aussie majors.<\/p>\n As he sets sail on the European circuit, Quayle called in the services of New Zealand\u2019s legendary caddie Williams, who was on the bag for 13 of Woods\u2019s 15 major wins between 1999 and 2011, as well as for Adam Scott during his triumph at the 2013 Masters.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just incredibly fortunate that Steve was willing to come and help me out,\u201d Quayle told Australian Golf Digest on Wednesday. \u201cIt\u2019s just a really cool experience. I think having somebody like Steve on your bag, you can\u2019t help but feel you\u2019ve maybe got a 15th club in the bag. There\u2019s a fair bit of experience and golf IQ that comes along with his career. Just really excited about the next couple weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n Auckland-based Williams has retired from caddieing after four decades that included working for Greg Norman, Ian Baker-Finch, Ray Floyd, Woods and Scott. This year, he penned a book, <\/a>Together We Roared<\/a>, with your correspondent.<\/p>\n The 62-year-old Williams enjoys helping out young tour pros and Quayle was eager to pick his brains about the requirements to compete at golf\u2019s highest level.<\/p>\n \u201cAnthony\u2019s had a lot of experience and he\u2019s got the great opportunity this year of playing on the DP World Tour,\u201d Williams told Australian Golf Digest of Quayle, who finished top 15 at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, won by Cam Smith. \u201cIt\u2019s a first time experience for him and he\u2019s got the talent and ability. If I can pass on any information that might assist him in his journey, it\u2019s worth it. I don\u2019t look at it from the results standpoint these two weeks, it\u2019s about what he can get out of me and to encourage him to fulfil his potential.\u201d<\/p>\n Aside from caddieing for Scott at the 2022 Australian PGA at Royal Queensland, Williams said his memories of the Brisbane course were watching Norman practise in the 1980s with his legendary coach Charlie Earp, who was the long-time head professional at \u201cRQ\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked what he had learned in two days working with Williams, Quayle said it was all about preparation and focus.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably the way we\u2019ve approached the event,\u201d Quayle said. \u201cI think it\u2019s less time, more focus. Steve\u2019s introduced me to preparing and keeping it fun and lighthearted but really engaged at the same time. I\u2019m listening to some of the stories and the experience and trying to draw on a bit of that as well. For me, there is an educational aspect and an aspirational aspect to it.\u201d<\/p>\n Next week\u2019s Australian Open will see the winner invited to play the 2026 Masters at Augusta National, as well as the top three (not already exempt) on the leaderboard receiving a start in the Open Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cAnthony\u2019s got the game,\u201d Williams said. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen him play up close and that should he be fortunate enough to get a win at the Australian Open, he\u2019s got the game to play at Augusta.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody next week will be excited. It just brings another level to the Australian Open. It\u2019s a fantastic event in itself and if you look at that Stonehaven Cup through the years, and the great players who travelled the world and won the Australian Open, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus for example, and it was always considered along with the Canadian Open, outside of the majors, as one of the most important tournaments in golf. <\/p>\n \u201cNow that the Augusta is inviting the winner to play the Masters, it just gives an added edge a bit more importance to it. So there\u2019ll be a lot of on the line next Sunday afternoon.\u201d <\/p>\n