Golfers who have wished they could be in Tiger Woods's shoes and play even the occasional stroke as well as the world No1 may not want to be so today. As Woods prepares to welcome players to his tournament, the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club near Los Angeles, he knows he will be asked repeatedly what he is going to do about Steve Williams, his caddie, who has said some rude things about Phil Mickelson, the world No3.

Williams, who is not known for the depth of his tact or the longevity of his temper, said that he would not call Mickelson “a great player because I hate the p***k”. The caddie went on to say that he had no respect for Mickelson and that Mickelson had no respect for him. It did not take long for those words to reach Mickelson and Woods in the US.

A clearly nettled Mickelson issued a statement that was dismissive of Williams. “After seeing Steve Williams's comments, all I could think of was how lucky I am to have a class act like Bones [Jim McKay] on my bag and representing me,” the left-hander said.

This was followed by a statement from Woods. “I was disappointed to read the comments attributed to Steve Williams about Phil Mickelson, a player that I respect,” Woods said. “It was inappropriate. The matter has been discussed and dealt with.”

It is doubtful that this is the end of the matter, however much Woods might want it to be, because it touches on a subject that is one of the most discussed in professional golf, namely how well do Woods and Mickelson get on? Down the years there have been stories suggesting that Woods regarded Mickelson as “flaky Phil”. Things were strained between them when Hal Sutton paired them together on the opening day of the 2004 Ryder Cup - and more strained still when they lost both matches.

Yet they played regular table tennis matches together in the build-up to the 2006 Ryder Cup and the Mickelsons felt close enough to Tiger and Elin Woods to send them a miniature table on the birth of their first child, Sam Alexis. Or was this an in joke, a reference to Mickelson's supremacy at this game? In the aftermath of a recent Presidents Cup match, Woods and Mickelson were seen talking animatedly to one another and laughing for some time.

With Woods in the public eye as he hosts this end-of-season event, all sorts of questions have been raised. Will he fire Williams? He has fired caddies for less in the past. Mike “Fluff” Cowan, Woods's first caddie and Williams's predecessor, was sacked for talking at length to a golf magazine. Will Woods apologise? Will he make Williams apologise?

This is not just a row involving Woods, Mickelson and Williams. Yesterday, Butch Harmon weighed in as well. Harmon, who coached Woods for a decade but then was replaced when it was felt that he was becoming too much of a celebrity in his own right and now coaches Mickelson, called the remarks “deplorable” and “uncalled for”.

Williams was talking at a function to raise money for charity. “I visit a lot of golf clubs and do a lot of speaking for charity and that is one of the questions I get asked the most: what is Tiger's relationship like with Phil Mickelson,” the caddie said. “I was simply honest and said they don't get along.”

Williams was later asked if he had used the word “p***k” and said he had. “I don't particularly like the guy myself,” he admitted saying of Mickelson. “He pays me no respect at all and hence I don't pay him any respect. It is no secret we don't get along, either.”

Williams once threw a spectator's camera into a pond because he thought it was annoying Woods. He seemed unconcerned about Woods's reaction. “He knows the media,” Williams said of his boss. “You make a comment and they blow it all out of proportion and it's no big deal.”

Like it or not, this has become a big deal. A row involving the world's best player, his caddie and the world No3, a man with whom Woods is said to have a cool relationship, is not insignificant. Rather like one of Woods's drives, this could run and run.

More glory for Harrington

Padraig Harrington has picked up another award after being named the US Tour’s Golfer of the Year in a poll of players — the first European to claim the honour. In the past week, the Open and US PGA champion was also selected as the European Tour Player of the Year and, for the second year running, winner of the Association of Golf Writers award. Bernhard Langer, of Germany, won both the Champions Tour player and rookie of the year awards.