Billy Foster was a popular man this summer.

A rumor began circulating that Steve Williams would retire as the caddie for Tiger Woods, and Foster was the natural replacement. The English caddie usually works for Darren Clarke, and Woods used him at the Presidents Cup in 2005 when Williams stayed home in New Zealand for the birth of his first child.

The British tabloids all but pegged Foster as the new looper for the world’s No. 1, but the caddies knew better.

Williams still keeps a text message that Foster sent him in July.

“Based on the strength of the rumors that I’ll be caddying for Tiger in 2008, I’ve put a deposit on a new house.”

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Five-time British Open champion Peter Thomson practically handed Tiger Woods the claret jug on Monday of the British Open. Woods was going for his third straight title, the longest streak since Thomson won three in a row a half-century earlier.

“He has a chance to win eight in a row,” Thomson said at a press conference.

This is the same man who was Presidents Cup captain in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, where he introduced the U.S. team at opening ceremonies as “the greatest collection of golfers in the world.” Four days later, the International team celebrated a 20½-11½ victory, the biggest rout ever against an American team.

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Thomson was having coffee in the dining area a few hours after his press conference at Carnoustie, and he was reminded of his famous speech at Royal Melbourne. He smiled, and one couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in his eye.

“Yes,” Thomson said. “We handed it to them pretty good that week.”

Maybe he was up to his old tricks. By the end of the week, Woods tied for 12th, and Thomson’s streak was safe.

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Zach and Kim Johnson conversed like most young married couples. She told him of an invitation they had for the evening. He took the husband’s typical seat on the fence, unwilling to commit, leaving it up to her whether they should go.

“What do you want to do?” he said. “I’ve still got to practice. What time does it start? I mean, if you really want to go, we can go.”

She deferred to his week of work, and they were headed toward an impasse until Johnson cracked.

“I was kind of hoping to watch some football tonight,” he admitted.

It was Saturday of the Deutsche Bank Championship, the first full schedule of college football. They wound up going, and Johnson ultimately was thrilled with the decision.

The evening entertainment turned out to be a sky box at Fenway Park, the night Boston rookie Clay Buchholz threw his no-hitter.

Clearly, this was a year when a lot of things went right for Johnson.