As Tiger Woods decides which aspect of his personal life is in worse condition — his marriage, his image or his golf game — he has now been ambushed another crushing body blow: his longtime golf coach, Hank Haney, resigned abruptly Monday night.
How did Haney deliver the delicate news to the disgraced golf superstar? Via text message.
Haney explained why decided to jump ship as the Tiger Woods brand continues to sink.
“I believe at this time that it is in both of our best interests for me to step aside as Tiger’s coach,” Haney said in a statement to The Golf Channel, according to Golf.com. “I will always look back upon our past half dozen years together as my best days in professional golf.”
Haney declined to elaborate or provide any rationale for such a sudden decision. He told KTCK-AM sports radio in Dallas on Tuesday that he had resigned via text message.
“I texted him last night [that I was leaving], and he texted me back,” Haney told the station. “We went back and forth for a while, but he had his kids last night and couldn’t talk. We are going to talk later today.”
Haney said he wasn’t fired by Woods and that there are no lingering hard feelings. He also believes that Woods, once he is able to mend his gaping emotional wounds, will become the cold, calculating, bloodless golf assassin of old.
“As we all know, Tiger has been through a lot in the past six months,” he said, “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.”
The sport of golf, not to mention the networks that air Woods’ tournaments, certainly hope that Haney’s predications come true. –terry shropshire
