Tiger Woods is ready to move on from Steve Williams' racist barb last week after shaking hands with his former caddy on Tuesday morning and accepting an apology for the 'hurtful' comment.
Speaking at a dinner in Shanghai last week during the HSBC Champions tournament, Williams was asked about his celebration of new boss Adam Scott's Bridgestone Invitational win in July.
Having described it as 'the best win of my career', Williams responded to the question about why he had celebrated so demonstratively by saying 'it was my aim to shove it right up that black a***hole'.
Williams has since apologised publicly and been backed by Scott, who won't sack him even though the Australian released a statement on Monday saying he doesn't 'support nor condone racism'.
Set to play in the Australian Open this week in Sydney, Woods faced the media on Tuesday morning at The Lakes and revealed he had met with Williams.
"Yeah actually we talked this morning, we met face to face and talked about it, talked it through," Woods said.
"Obviously it was a wrong thing to say, something that we both acknowledge now, and we're moving forward."
"He did apologise, I mean it was hurtful certainly but life goes forward."
Woods parted with Williams midway through this year while he was injured, with the New Zealander being taken on full-time soon after by Scott.
Asked about the decision to sever ties, Woods pointed to the fact that he wasn't able to play at the time and that he'd decided to make the 'tough decision to go (in) a different direction in my professional life'.
"But as far as personally, I don't know how that could have happened the way it did, but it did and here we are," he added of his off-course relationship with Williams, who caddied for him in 13 of his 14 major wins.
"I don't know, it's just one of those things where we'll see what time does and as well know that time does heal wounds and we'll see how that goes."
But Woods also denied that Williams is a racist person.
"No Stevie is certainly not a racist, there's no doubt about that," he said.
"I think it was a comment that shouldn't have been made and it was certainly one that he wished he didn't make."
As for whether the PGA Tour should have sanctioned Williams in any way, having chosen not to do so, Woods said that wasn't a decision for him.
"Well I don't make policy, I'm not part of the governing bodies and it's up to them," he said.
"I believe they've (the PGA Tour) released a statement but it's up to them to make sanctions or whatever have you on that subject."