Hank Haney, best known as the former coach for PGA superstar Tiger Woods, has fired back at the golfer, who recently criticized controversial comments Haney made.
Haney was suspended last week from the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio channel, where he had hosted a show, over comments he made about Korean players on the LPGA tour.
When asked who he thought would win the U.S. Women’s Open, Haney said, “I’m going to predict a Korean.”
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“I couldn’t name you like six players on the LPGA Tour,” Haney continued. “Maybe I could. Well … I’d go with Lee. If I didn’t have to name a first name, I’d get a bunch of them right.”
“I don’t know … Lexi Thompson … Michelle Wie’s hurt. I don’t know that many,” he said, Sports Illustrated reported.
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Haney apologized later in the show and then again on Twitter, but since the quote was already out there, the backlash was swift.
— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) May 29, 2019
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Woods, who worked with Haney from 2004 to 2010, stood by Sirius XM’s decision to suspend his former coach.
“He deserved it,” Woods said. “Just can’t look at life like that. And he obviously said what he meant, and he got what he deserved.”
Haney responded to Woods’ comments Tuesday on Twitter.
“Amazing how @tigerwoods has become the moral authority on issues pertaining to women,” he wrote.
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“I spent 6 great years coaching Tiger, and not one time did he ever hear me utter one sexist or racist word,” he continued. “Now, in addition to being a 15 time major champion, I guess he thinks he’s also a mind reader? #glasshouses.”
— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) June 4, 2019
By “#glasshouses,” Haney seems to have been referring to Woods’ personal life. The golfer allegedly cheated on his first wife with at least 120 different women, according to the New York Post.
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SiriusXM, meanwhile, put out a joint statement with the PGA Tour last week condemning Haney’s original comments.
“Mr. Haney’s comments on women’s professional golf were insensitive and do not represent the views of the PGA Tour or SiriusXM,” the statement read.
“The PGA Tour is committed to and proud of the increasingly diverse makeup of our fan base, not to mention the power and accomplishment’s of the game’s world-class, global players.”
Michelle Wie, one of the LGPA golfers Haney named, also condemned his words.
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As a Korean American female golfer, these comments that @HankHaney made disappoint and anger me on so many different levels. Racism and sexism are no laughing matter Hank….shame on you. I don’t ever do this, but this must be called out. https://t.co/P18JByTosN
— Michelle Wie (@themichellewie) May 29, 2019
“Racism and sexism are no laughing matter Hank,” Wie wrote on Twitter. “Shame on you.”
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