Show of hands, please: How many of you
would trade places with Tiger Woods right
now? Thought not.
Let’s review. The whole world knows
about his sex life and that his wife’s about
to become his ex and is gearing up to take
the children and at least half his stuff. He
used to be the best golfer on the planet and
now he can’t keep the ball on any course.
And he has a neck injury that might be
healed who knows when. Now, comes the
news that he’s waving at his swing coach in
the rearview mirror.
Suddenly, all those millions don’t buy so
much, do they?
The world of Woods keeps on spinning
right out of control and there’s no telling
where or when it will stop. Hank Haney,
who had worked with Woods on his swing
for the past six years, announced that the
professional relationship is over. His depar-
ture had been speculated for some time,
and while he insisted it was his decision, it
is widely believed Haney performed the du-
ties of a good soldier and fell on his sword.
Although, to be realistic, something had
to give. Six years and the fact that Tiger
still can’t drive it in the fairway should tell
them both that a change was long overdue.
Haney couldn’t make Charles Barkley or
Ray Romano better, either, so his track
record isn’t the best right now, despite all
the money he’s made from being such a
high-profile teacher.
In fairness, it has been awfully hard to
say whether Woods’ woes are attributable
to his personal issues, physical ailments,
swing flaws or some combination thereof.
It’s tough to play golf with a hurricane in
your head, an inflamed disk in your neck
and a low hook and a high slice. But if the
doctor can’t figure out what’s ailing you, it’s
time for a second opinion and, apparently,
Woods is looking for a new practitioner.
But we wonder, just wonder,
if Woods still has Butch
Harmon on his speed dial.
If all this sounds confusing, just try to
put yourself in Tiger’s head while he tries
to figure things out. What he does next,
only he knows, and he probably doesn’t
know himself right now. But we wonder,
just wonder, if Woods still has Butch
Harmon on his speed dial. If Tiger wants to
return to the form that made him the best
player maybe ever, he will chew on some
humble pie and make the call to Butchie.
Harmon, for whatever reason, could see
what no one else could – even Tiger – and
communicate those thoughts to Woods in
such a way that he could digest them and
put them to work. That’s the job of a golf
instructor, and Harmon isn’t thought of as
the best for nothing.
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