Hank Haney was having dinner with his father at a steakhouse in Plano, Texas, on March 8, 2004, when his phone rang. The unfamiliar Florida number offered no clue about who was calling. Then came the words that would change his career: “Hey Hank, this is Tiger.” Tiger Woods wanted Haney’s assessment of his game.
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As Haney later recalled in his memoir, The Big Miss, that unexpected phone call marked the beginning of the partnership with one of golf’s greatest players. The pair worked together for about six years before they separated. Even though they achieved unparalleled success together, Haney feels Woods is the worst player he has coached in one aspect.
“People speculate all the time about him, but they are guessing,” Haney said in 2022 on GOLF’s Subpar podcast. “I was there. I spent 150 days a year with him for six years. He was incredible, just unbelievable. I would stand on the driving range and just think, there is no way these guys could beat him. … And honestly, he wasn’t nearly as good on the course. Nobody is.
“I told this to a few people – I’ve taught over 200 touring pros, and the worst player at taking it from the driving range to the golf course that I ever coached was Tiger Woods.”
Despite that assessment, Haney, who also coached two-time major winner Mark O’Meara, couldn’t help but revisit Woods’ unbelievable winning record.
“He won 45 per cent of the time he teed it up when I helped him, and on the driving range you’d think there’s no way this guy could ever lose, but you are always going to have regression,” he added. “I’m just saying he hardly ever missed a shot.”
But this begs the question: what changed when Woods would step onto the course? Haney believed Woods’ struggles off the first tee were largely down to the pressure of starting a tournament. He explained that the opening rounds carried a different kind of tension, as players could lose their chances of winning but could not secure the title just yet.
Despite the gap between Woods’ practice-range form and his on-course performances, his partnership with Haney yielded six major championships, highlighted by his 2005 Masters triumph and consecutive Open Championship titles in 2005 and 2006. But if their partnership was so good, why did the pair part ways?
Hank Haney explains why he parted ways with Tiger Woods
At the time, Tiger Woods was dealing with personal controversies following his Thanksgiving car accident and the scandals that emerged afterward. However, Haney insisted those issues were not behind his decision to walk away. Speaking to CNBC, Haney explained that he felt he had given everything he could to help the 15-time major champion.
“That’s not the reason why I left,” he said. Although Haney admitted he was uncomfortable with the controversy, he added, “I feel very bad about that. But Tiger has taken responsibility for it.”
Instead, Haney believed their professional relationship had simply reached its natural conclusion, stating, “It was just time to move on. All coaching relationships have a lifespan.” Haney also remained optimistic about Woods’ future, insisting he still had plenty of time to challenge Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.
That, of course, never came to pass, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Woods did eventually claim another major, winning the 2019 Masters, although it remains his only major victory since Haney’s departure. The golf legend has not competed since the 2024 Open Championship.