There's more, Hank is a real bi-otch for this,
One
subject readers are probably eager to read about in Hank Haney’s new
book about his time as Tiger Woods’s swing coach is Woods’s
relationships with other golfers.
Haney,
whose book “The Big Miss” comes out March 27, puts readers inside the
clubhouse in this regard. Very early in the book — on Page 5, in fact —
Haney dissects Woods’s relationship with Phil Mickelson, calling it
chilly. That is not news to golf fans, but Haney goes further.
“Most of it is that Mickelson possesses the kind of talent that has made him a legitimate threat to Tiger’s supremacy. Phil’s popularity with fans and gentle treatment from the media add to Tiger’s annoyance. For years, Tiger reveled in the idea that Mickelson had trouble playing in his presence. But Phil adjusted, and in recent years he’s outplayed Tiger down the stretch in several tournaments. His
increased confidence against Tiger, along with the positive energy of
the gallery, has flipped the psychological advantage in their matchup in
his favor.”
Later, Haney writes about the
relationship at length, saying that Woods would smile in agreement when
any of his friends called Mickelson a phony. He added, “I have no doubt
Tiger felt racial vibes in what he read and heard on and off the course,
especially when he was matched up against Phil.”
While careful to
note that he did not think Woods actually disliked Mickelson, Haney
says, “Phil is a really verbal, high-energy guy who, for Tiger’s taste,
is too opinionated, is too much of a know-it-all, and just revs too
fast.”
Haney says Woods tended to like quiet, modest players like
Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, or droll veterans like Fred Couples and Jay
Haas. But Woods was averse to loud and cocky players. He doesn’t like
Ian Poulter in particular. Haney recounts an incident in which Woods got
angry when Poulter “mooched a ride” on his plane back home to Orlando,
Fla. Haney listed Sergio García and Vijay Singh as other players to
receive Woods’s cold shoulder.
Woods took note of slights in the
news media, using Rory Sabbatini’s quote in 2007 that Woods was “as
beatable as ever” as motivation. Haney also describes how Woods turned
on Ben Curtis, with whom Woods had practiced, during Woods’s comeback in
2010.
After Curtis said that Woods appeared nervous and rusty, Woods told Haney, “I’ll never play with that guy again.