Tiger Woods ex golf coach makes outrageous (!) PGA Tour claim

Hank Haney, the former coach of golf legend Tiger Woods, has sparked controversy by accusing the “Corrupt Golf Media” of neglecting to address what he perceives as a decline in the competitiveness of the PGA Tour in 2024. Haney’s comments were prompted by Cam Davis’s victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, marking his second win at the event in three years and his second career PGA Tour title.

Davis’s triumph came after a critical missed putt by Akshay Bhatia on the 18th hole at Detroit Golf Club, securing a narrow one-shot victory. Despite this win being Davis’s first top-10 finish of the season, Haney has taken the opportunity to argue that the current state of the PGA Tour makes it easier than ever to secure victories.

According to Haney, the exodus of top golfers like Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau to the LIV Golf League, funded by Saudi Arabia, has diluted the competitive field on the PGA Tour. Haney’s critique comes amidst Scottie Scheffler’s dominant season, where he has notched six wins in his last ten starts, echoing the success only seen by Tiger Woods in 2009.

Scheffler’s impressive performance includes breaking a record for the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), previously thought unbreakable since it was set by Woods in 2000. Currently ranked World No. 1 and leading the FedEx Cup standings, Scheffler has five more tournaments to play this season, including The Open at Royal Troon from July 18-21. He is within reach of matching the all-time record of nine PGA Tour wins in a single season, a feat accomplished only by Woods in 2000 and Vijay Singh in 2004.

Despite Scheffler’s extraordinary season, Haney remains critical, suggesting that the weakened field due to the absence of top players has made it easier to win. He expressed his frustrations in a tweet, accusing the media of failing to discuss this issue: “Not one member of the Corrupt Golf Media has written an article or talked about how it’s easier than ever to win on the PGA Tour, which is one of the many reasons they are charter members of the CGM.”

Haney, who coached Woods from 2004 to 2010 and was instrumental during a period that saw Woods win six major titles, has a history of contentious comments. The pair’s relationship soured following the revelation of Woods’ private life issues in 2009, leading to their split in 2010. In a 2012 interview, Haney expressed regret over the fallout with Woods.

Haney’s recent comments have reignited discussions about the current state of the PGA Tour and the influence of LIV Golf on the sport’s competitive landscape. Whether his claims about the ease of winning on the PGA Tour in 2024 will gain traction or be dismissed as another of his contentious opinions remains to be seen.