Tiger Woods Says Ex-Coach 'Deserved' Punishment for LPGA Comments
For about six years, from 2004 to 2010, Hank Haney was Tiger Woods’ coach, and together, they won six major championships.
But Woods is among the chorus of those who expressed their outrage over Haney’s recent comments about women’s golf.
Earlier this week on his PGA Tour SiriusXM radio show, Haney made a flippant remark 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.”
If you’d prefer to listen to Hank Haney disparage the LPGA and US Women’s Open this morning on SiriusXM, here’s the audio: https://t.co/WWIItaWAG5
— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) May 29, 2019
“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.”
Haney apologized later in the show and then again on Twitter, but since the quote was already out there, the backlash has been swift.
Michelle Wie, the daughter of South Korean immigrants, called out Haney on Twitter.
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
Following his remarks, Haney was suspended from the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio channel, The Associated Press reported.
And Haney’s most famous former pupil criticized his ex-coach, suggesting the punishment was appropriate.
“He deserved it,” Woods said of Haney’s suspension Friday following his second round of play at the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, according to ESPN.
“Just can’t look at life like that. And he obviously said what he meant, and he got what he deserved,” he added.
Haney resigned from coaching Woods after the golfer’s poor performance at the 2010 Players Championship, which Woods withdrew from in the fourth round.
“Two years later, Haney wrote a book titled ‘The Big Miss,’ in which he delved into his coaching relationship with Woods but also shared details about the golfer’s private life,” ESPN noted.
Haney’s recent comments were also criticized by the PGA Tour itself, which put out a joint statement with Sirius XM.
“The PGA TOUR is committed to and proud of the increasingly diverse makeup of our fan base,” the statement read, “not to mention the power and accomplishments of the game’s world-class, global players — both on the PGA TOUR and LPGA, whom we are working with more closely than ever before.”
“SiriusXM proudly covers and supports both women’s and men’s golf and the athletes that make them great.”
“SiriusXM said it is reviewing Haney’s status going forward,” ESPN reported.
In addition to Woods, Haney also coached two-time major winner Mark O’Meara, and worked with former NBA star Charles Barkley, whose golf swing he tried to help fix.
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