Williams shepherds Scott to 'normal' 62

AKRON, Ohio -- After he finished on top of the tournament after one round, Adam Scott determined there was only one conclusion to be drawn from the stirring 8-under-par 62 he shot Thursday: His caddie, Steve Williams, sure knows his way around Firestone Country Club.

"He just seems to have a lot of good rounds in him around this place," Scott said after the first round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. "He didn't think it was a big deal to shoot 62. It was normal."

Williams, of course, is famous for having carried Tiger Woods' bag for many victories, including seven at Firestone, and for having recently been fired by Woods. The latter has been a big story in golf circles, what with Williams having said strongly how much the sacking hurt him.

Thursday was the first time that Williams, who now works full-time for Scott, and Woods were involved in the same tournament since their breakup. They didn't cross paths, Scott said, and there wouldn't be a problem if they did.

"I mean, this kind of thing happens on the tour. It happens a lot every year with everyone and just because it's Tiger and Steve, I'm not going to treat it like it's anything different than anyone else going through this," Scott said. (Williams did not stop to speak with reporters.)

Scott likes the energy and savvy Williams brings to the job. He likes the fact that Williams can be blunt in assessing his boss' game. He likes that Williams believes Scott can be "as good a player as I want to be."

It was an unusual scene for the caddie: Williams and Scott were in a quiet, little watched pairing with Dustin Johnson, two groups behind the tumult that surrounds Woods. In terms of media coverage over the past two weeks, tumult has surrounded Williams. "To be honest, I really haven't been following it," Scott said. "I don't really care. It's not my business. He's a big boy, he can handle it."