Jim McCabe

The Golf Expert is here with answers to your questions. Since slow play is not encouraged, let's quickly move to the first tee, er, question and get started.

Q: Are Tiger Woods and caddie Steve Williams really as close as they appear? What did Williams do before caddying for Woods?
— L.D. from Salem, Ore.
A: Take a look, L.D., way, way, way up there. About 455 feet above your head. Those two guys who are about to launch a ridiculously risky bungee-jump?

That's Tiger Woods and Steve Williams.

That's what I call close, because while you couldn't pay me enough money to do such a stunt, if I did do it, I'd only do so with my best friend by my side.

I would argue that it's not a stretch to use the phrase "best friend," either, because Woods and Williams share more than the four or five hours that it takes to play a round of golf on the PGA Tour.

Williams was at Woods' wedding. Woods was best man at Williams's wedding — a trip to New Zealand that led to the bungee jump and also a pair of stock-car races to help charitable causes set up by the caddie. Their wives are great friends who often walk together at PGA Tour tournaments. It's not unusual for Williams to stay in the same house as Woods during trips to the British Open and when Woods was asked why he had taken part in the car races in New Zealand, he said, "When Stevie asks me to do something, I'm there in a heartbeat."

To insure whatever privacy he can have, it's imperative that Woods keeps a small, but close-knit circle of friends, and Williams is most definitely part of that. Williams, 42, hooked up with Woods in 1999 and they've been together for nine of his 10 major conquests and 40 PGA Tour wins, and while those are remarkable numbers, it's not as if the New Zealander hadn't tasted success before.

Special coverage Coverage of Tiger Woods’ life and career

As a steady caddie for Greg Norman (1980-88) and Raymond Floyd (1988-99), Williams had plenty of good times and made such a comfortable living that he had every intention of retiring to his home in Auckland, where he could tend to his tomatoes, race his autos, and follow his beloved All Blacks, the legendary Kiwi rugby team.

A pretty fair junior golfer, Williams had left home at the age of 15 to become a caddie in Europe, so he's been at it a long time and he vows that working for Woods will be his last job. It has delayed his retirement; then again, it's assured him of a more comfortable one.

Q: How will Phil Mickelson prepare between now and the U.S. Open?
— Justin from Birmingham, Ala.
A: Taking just two weeks off after his second Masters victory, Mickelson played well in New Orleans, but was 14 shots out of the lead at the Wachovia Championship. THe withdrew from the Byron Nelson Championship. Look for him to also skip the Colonial and St. Jude Classic, then play three more in a row, the last of which will be the U.S. Open at Winged Foot.

DAN O'NEILL ON GOLF 'Phil Slam' is possible Mickelson gets break that British at new course in rota

He prefers to play his way into the majors, so stops at the Memorial and the Barclays Classic will usher him into his bid to win a third straight major. In keeping with his standard practice, Mickelson has already studied Winged Foot during a lengthy practice session last week.

Q: Who’s probably the best two-sport athlete on the PGA & LPGA tours?
— Rick Beasley from Altoona, Pa.
A: Since so many PGA Tour golfers get seriously into the game as juniors, not many of them pursued other athletic endeavors beyond the local Little League level.

Something tells me Ernie Els could have played rugby at the highest level, had he chosen to, and Mike Weir strikes me as someone who'd look good on skates and with a stick in his hand.

Tiger Woods? I'd match his athleticism against anyone's.

As for the women, Annika Sorenstam once fancied herself a tennis player and had she stuck with it, I'm not so sure she wouldn't have been a retired Wimbledon champ by now.