Caddie Confidential: Tiger Woods lowering expectations?

— -- Let's start the 2016-17 season off with a bang!

Tiger Woods did the "Hokey Pokey" with the Safeway Open. We know what effect it caused in the media, but what about the guys inside the ropes?

This week's caddie drops opinions on Tiger's withdrawal, the Safeway Open course and the fans.

Remember how this works: We get the truth and inside access, the caddies get anonymity. Enjoy!

Collins: How different is the vibe since Tiger isn't playing?
Caddie: "Well, they moved the tee box up on (the 10th hole) I had heard to alleviate some congestion from the fans. That's not going to be an issue anymore. I think amongst the players, I haven't heard a whole lot of chatter about him not being here. I think it's definitely made an impact with the fans and the people in the area. A lot of people I talked to were excited to see him play and don't get the opportunity to now.

"A couple [of] people were like, 'I don't even care if he showed up and didn't play well. I just wanted to see him play.' So it's interesting, the dynamic [and] the difference between what Tiger is thinking about relative to his game and what the fans want.

"Obviously everyone wants to see him play well. But I think the fans just wanted to see him play. That's been the biggest difference. The fans are disappointed he isn't here. For the players, it's business as usual."