AUCKLAND - TIGER Woods' New Zealand-born caddie has made the most of his employer's injury-enforced absence from golf to raise NZ$1 million (S$905,000) for child cancer sufferers.

Caddie Steve Williams presented the money to Auckland's Starship Hospital to help fund the construction of a new cancer ward.

Williams promised to raise NZ$1 million for the hospital a year ago after visiting child cancer patients.

'Obviously we didn't want to see Tiger out. But it helped us in a sense because we've really got into it in the last three months and it's been really successful,' he said of his fundraising efforts.

The Steve Williams Foundation is a registered charity in New Zealand which undertakes various fundraising activities.

One of his main sources of income is auctioning Tiger Woods memorabilia.

Williams also works as a guest speaker and organises charity golf tournaments.

'It was a lot of hard work, but when you have a target in mind and know what benefits it will have, it's very enjoyable,' he said The Starship Hospital treats about 70 per cent of New Zealand children with cancer. -- AP