Haney resigns as Woods' swing coach after more than six seasons
- PGA.com
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hank Haney resigned as Tiger Woods' swing coach on Monday, according to a statement Haney issued to the Golf Channel.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><TABLE class="news_box ieBox" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=ieTitle vAlign=center><TH class=ieTitle width="99%">TIGER WOODS RETURNS</TH></TR><TR><TD class=ieBoxBody>Woods' schedule 'up in the air' after neck injury
Complete coverage of the Tiger Woods saga
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- START 'inlineAd' BRANDING: /.element/ssi/story/1.0/DEFAULT/inlineAd.html --><!-- FINISH 'inlineAd' BRANDING --><!--endclickprintexclude-->"I have informed Tiger Woods this evening that I will no longer be his coach," the statement said. "I would like to thank Tiger for the opportunity that I have had to work with him over the past six-plus years. Tiger Woods has done the work to achieve a level of greatness that I believe the game of golf has never seen before and I will always appreciate the opportunity that I have had to contribute to his successes."
Woods spent some of his time at The Players Championship last week denying speculation that he was about to leave Haney, his swing coach since 2004, and added Monday that he was working on his swing.
"I talked to Hank about some of the stuff. We're still working on it," he said Monday during a news conference to promote the upcoming AT&T National in suburban Philadelphia. "We have a lot of work to do. I can't make the movements that I made before because of the neck. I need to get healthy to play the proper way."
Haney called his time with Woods "a great learning experience" and said that working with Woods "elevated me in my own profession to a level that I never thought I would achieve." In fact, he added, "I may have learned more from him than he has ever learned from me."
However, Haney said, he believes "it is in both of our best interests for me to step aside as Tiger's coach." And, he stressed, the decision was all his, though he added that he would always be there for Woods should he never need him.
"As we all know, Tiger has been through a lot in the past six months, and I really believe that given the chance, mind free and injury free, we will all see Tiger Woods play once again like we all know he can," Haney said. "I wish Tiger well, not only with his golf, but in finding peace and happiness in all aspects of his life."
Woods withdrew from The Players Championship on the seventh hole of Sunday's final round with pain and spasms in his neck.
Woods said on Monday that his neck started bothering him two weeks before the Masters, his first competition in five months. He brushed it off as "no big deal" and believed he could play through the pain. That changed on Sunday, though.
"I'm at a point now where I just can't go anymore," he said. "I want to practice, I want to play, I want to compete, but this is not allowing me to do the things that I need to do on my golf swing to hit the proper shots. I need to get to where I can do that again."
Woods said he's been taking anti-inflammatory drugs, but they have not helped. He plans to have an MRI when he returns to Orlando, Fla.
After tying for fourth in the Masters, Woods looked lost on the course as he missed the cut at Quail Hollow on April 30 with the highest 36-hole score of his career.
Woods has played little like the golfer who collected his 82nd title worldwide in Australia six months ago, just before his personal life became a national punchline.
"I think it's just once I'm able to do the work on the range and get comfortable, then all shots are fine," he said. "But I need to do the work."
For now, though, his schedule is "up in the air" and likely will be shaped based on what the MRI reveals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- PGA.com
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hank Haney resigned as Tiger Woods' swing coach on Monday, according to a statement Haney issued to the Golf Channel.
<!--startclickprintexclude--><TABLE class="news_box ieBox" border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=ieTitle vAlign=center><TH class=ieTitle width="99%">TIGER WOODS RETURNS</TH></TR><TR><TD class=ieBoxBody>Woods' schedule 'up in the air' after neck injury
Complete coverage of the Tiger Woods saga
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!--startclickprintexclude--><!-- START 'inlineAd' BRANDING: /.element/ssi/story/1.0/DEFAULT/inlineAd.html --><!-- FINISH 'inlineAd' BRANDING --><!--endclickprintexclude-->"I have informed Tiger Woods this evening that I will no longer be his coach," the statement said. "I would like to thank Tiger for the opportunity that I have had to work with him over the past six-plus years. Tiger Woods has done the work to achieve a level of greatness that I believe the game of golf has never seen before and I will always appreciate the opportunity that I have had to contribute to his successes."
Woods spent some of his time at The Players Championship last week denying speculation that he was about to leave Haney, his swing coach since 2004, and added Monday that he was working on his swing.
"I talked to Hank about some of the stuff. We're still working on it," he said Monday during a news conference to promote the upcoming AT&T National in suburban Philadelphia. "We have a lot of work to do. I can't make the movements that I made before because of the neck. I need to get healthy to play the proper way."
Haney called his time with Woods "a great learning experience" and said that working with Woods "elevated me in my own profession to a level that I never thought I would achieve." In fact, he added, "I may have learned more from him than he has ever learned from me."
However, Haney said, he believes "it is in both of our best interests for me to step aside as Tiger's coach." And, he stressed, the decision was all his, though he added that he would always be there for Woods should he never need him.
"As we all know, Tiger has been through a lot in the past six months, and I really believe that given the chance, mind free and injury free, we will all see Tiger Woods play once again like we all know he can," Haney said. "I wish Tiger well, not only with his golf, but in finding peace and happiness in all aspects of his life."
Woods withdrew from The Players Championship on the seventh hole of Sunday's final round with pain and spasms in his neck.
Woods said on Monday that his neck started bothering him two weeks before the Masters, his first competition in five months. He brushed it off as "no big deal" and believed he could play through the pain. That changed on Sunday, though.
"I'm at a point now where I just can't go anymore," he said. "I want to practice, I want to play, I want to compete, but this is not allowing me to do the things that I need to do on my golf swing to hit the proper shots. I need to get to where I can do that again."
Woods said he's been taking anti-inflammatory drugs, but they have not helped. He plans to have an MRI when he returns to Orlando, Fla.
After tying for fourth in the Masters, Woods looked lost on the course as he missed the cut at Quail Hollow on April 30 with the highest 36-hole score of his career.
Woods has played little like the golfer who collected his 82nd title worldwide in Australia six months ago, just before his personal life became a national punchline.
"I think it's just once I'm able to do the work on the range and get comfortable, then all shots are fine," he said. "But I need to do the work."
For now, though, his schedule is "up in the air" and likely will be shaped based on what the MRI reveals.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
