Remember Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’s coach, during his unstoppable run from 2004 to 2010? That was the era when Woods utterly dominated golf, racking up 31 PGA Tour titles and six major championships. Lately, Haney’s been shedding light on his own impact on Woods’s success, and golf enthusiasts are taking notice. After sharing a handy golf tip on social media, a curious fan asked about Woods’s take on it. Haney chimed in on the controversies surrounding the pace of play in the PGA Tour.
In the latest post on X, Golf Today just threw down the gauntlet, asking the PGA TOUR some tough questions about their plan to shrink field sizes at events. What’s really driving this change? They want to know, and so do we! Golf guru Hank Haney weighed in, dropping some real talk. He thinks the PGA TOUR’s main goal is to slim down the payout list, freeing up more cash for the sport’s top dogs. Slow play? Just a convenient excuse, according to Haney. His take offers a fascinating glimpse into the PGA TOUR’s possible motivations.
The PGA Tour’s proposed changes for the 2026 season have sparked widespread criticism from golf professionals. Lucas Glover, the 2009 US Open winner, is the latest to speak out, calling the Tour’s reasoning “complete crap.” Glover joins a growing list of players, including Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay, and Akshay Bhatia, who have questioned the Tour’s decision to reduce field sizes from 156 to 144 and decrease fines for slow play.
Which former coach of Tiger Woods has been vocal about the PGA Tour’s proposed changes and criticized Commissioner Jay Monahan?
Paying fewer players so they have more money to pay the top players is on the list somewhere hidden behind eliminating slow play. https://t.co/5iZcjnDjII
— Hank Haney (@HankHaney) November 12, 2024
Numerous pros have expressed frustration with Commissioner Jay Monahan’s leadership, with some even calling for his resignation. The changes, aimed at improving the pace of play, have been labeled as misguided and unfair. Scottie Scheffler has criticized the playoff format, while others like Jordan Spieth and Michelle Wie West have faced challenges within the Tour. The dissenting voices are growing louder, with many questioning the Tour’s priorities and decision-making process. Well, you’ll be surprised to know that this isn’t the first time Haney has thrown daggers on the PGA Tour Commissioner.
Tiger Woods’s ex-coach advises to do the ‘opposite’ of what Jay Monahan wants
Remember the time Tiger Woods‘s former coach, Hank Haney, publicly criticized PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan over the tour’s handling of talks with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF)? That was just the latest development in the ongoing saga between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. The PGA Tour had been negotiating a peace deal with LIV Golf since June, but with the December 31 deadline missed, doubts have been cast on the agreement’s completion. Recently, Golf Digest reported that Monahan aimed to “shut down” LIV Golf, and negotiations had gone cold. Haney took to Twitter to express his frustration, saying, “Whatever [Monahan] wants, they should probably consider doing the opposite.”
Meanwhile, the PGA Tour announced a groundbreaking partnership with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), securing a £2.4 billion ($3 billion) investment. However, it remains to be seen how this will affect the proposed alliance with the Saudi fund. In response to the announcement, PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan reassured LIV members, stating that the investment aligns with PIF’s goal to grow the game. Al-Rumayyan emphasized PIF’s commitment to supporting LIV and its team golf format, which has brought new energy and fans to the sport globally.
“The game of golf is only beginning to fulfil its potential. This is the vision we had when LIV was created, and today that is more alive than ever”, he said. Well, the merger talks are still on a halt to this day and we’re not sure when the next step will take place.
